Guardian Fairy
by Alpha Dragonis
Summary: Arceus is dying, and the only way to save him is to transfer the Plates to a chosen human. Rex Vermend has his life become extraordinary as he is now the Guardian of the Plates and is sent to the region of Fiore, unaware that he is about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime, and discover his true feelings. OCxErza. Reviews appreciated. 39k Views!
1. The Guardian, the Cat and the Zodiac

**Before I get through with you onto the main announcement I just wanted to say sorry if you are expecting the next chapter. But I need to come forwards with an announcment. Please read through all of this before replying/unfollowing/unfavouriting etc. because I think it's best if you at least understand what is going on right now. Okay, so at the time of writing this story has 153 reviews, 123 favourites and 111 followers which brings a tear of joy to see that so many enjoy readin it regardless of whether they review or not. This makes what I'm about to do all the more painful.**

**See, I'm going to put this story on a hiatus.**

**A few of you have followed previous attempts at stories and may jump to an irrational conclusion that this story is going to be deleted and I can assure you that will not be the case, though I do not necessarily blame you. Most of the reasons for why I am putting on hiatus are personal, with a few being related to the story. As for the personal reasons - my life is pretty shit right now to be blunt, I could not find a worse word to describe it. A lot of this stems from my social issues and how I am a complete wreck when it comes to being outside of my own room, and that I also often find myself hiding my true feelings.**

**As for the reasons related to the story, I realised that somewhere along the way I fucked it up really badly. I'm not sure where, I just know that I did. So here is what's going to happen. I'm not going to be posting any chapters related to this story for several months at least whilst I try to find myself as a person and what I need to do to seriously improve on it - and after those few months I'll come to a conclusion. I either:**

**1) I continue with the story as normal.**

**2) I'll reboot the whole thing. It will start with the Hargeon Town incident but it will diverge drastically from there in a way you might not expect at all.**

**Please note that if I do choose to continue writing that this note will be replaced. Please refrain from posting a review, but preferably try to do it anonymously if you absolutely have to. Or PM me if you want to chat because I'll be happy to. Another important note to make, even though it is my only story I'm currently writing I do have a few plans in place for other stories if I ever want to write something else instead.**

**Again, I deeply apologise for the way things are.**

**Update 4/3/2016 - So approximately a month after this I think it would be best to give you a heads up as to where I am. So I tried just writing some stuff up for a week or two and that really didn't go so well. The main reason is that I need to think a bit more about which way the stories go, and English was not one of my strong subjects. I think that my current wellbeing is better than the last time but I still need to figure some things out, especially because the next few months are going to be stressful when it comes to work. As for GF, I'm walking a serious line between rebooting the story or abandoning it all together.**

**Update 29/3/2016 - I've had a lot of time to think about it, and what I'm going to do is that I will mark the story as complete. You're all free to read what I have already done, it's just that I don't expect to upload a new chapter for a very long time - maybe not at all. I still have multiple story ideas floating around my head for other stories but I don't have the brain or motivation to write them down, and what makes it worse is that there is a lot going on right now. Insane Dominator, I am sorry about not reviewing or reading any recent chapters in your stories.**

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**A/N - Hello everyone, my name is Alpha Dragonis. I decided to write this story after coming up with the idea for it. I only hope that you read this and favourite it. I've never even tried something like this, so feedback and constructive criticism is welcome - any flames and trolling... We'll see. It might end up pairing my OC with Erza. Of course there will be NaLu in it as well. The adventure in Fairy Tail will begin next chapter - for now enjoy how my character ends up in Fiore.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail or Pokemon. They belong to Hiro Mashima and Satoshi Tajiri (and Nintendo) respectively.**

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**Chapter 1 - The Guardian, The Cat, and The Zodiac**

It was a quiet day in Lumiose City and people were busy having fun, playing with their Pokemon, getting their Furfrou a new trim, touring the sights and just relaxing at a cafe. One such person was Rex Vermend - a tall trainer who was 18 years of age and wore a long dark blue jacket on top of a light yellow shirt with the Mega Evolution symbol in it dark colours. He wore a pair of dark jeans and beige roller-skate shoes.

Rex took another sip of his coffee and looked out as a person skated by in an attempt to perform some sort of trick. The skater jumped up and attempted to skate on the side of a building but could only do so for a couple of seconds and landed very hastily on the floor again. Several other skaters who were probably his friends laughed at the scene before him.

Rex smiled and took another sip of his coffee. "Alright Greninja - you can stop that." He said without looking up. The aforementioned Ninja Pokemon quietly stepped down from above and relaxed in the other seat. It looked out of place but Rex wasn't worried about that. What he was worried about was losing Greninja as he was his first pokemon. Rex smiled, but his eyes weren't smiling as well. He remembered when he got his partner nearly 6 years ago at a DayCare with his guardians and that a Froakie was left over.

Rex had decided to adopt the Froakie because it was a lot like him and resolved to make a better future for the both of them and become a strong trainer. Since that day - Rex has never looked back at that vow or answered the question: "Have I done that?" Instead, he devoted himself to travelling across the regions and seeing all sorts of pokemon.

After finishing his coffee Rex stood up. Greninja looked on mildly surprised but got up as well. "Come on Greninja. Let's get going." He said firmly and began walking down North Boulevard, wondering what to do. _Maybe I should visit the three star restaurant in this city and order a battle platter which is supposedly very spicy_. He thought.

Rex happened to look down a side alley and saw the shadow of a strange pokemon flit away suddenly - one that Rex couldn't identify. Greninja also looked down and gave a slight nod, he had seen the mysterious pokemon as well and was curious. "Okay Greninja. Let's take a look and see what exactly is that pokemon." He suggested and Greninja nodded once in agreement.

They went down the alley and once again saw a shadow darting away. It was a pokemon levitating, so there was little doubt that it was either a ghost or psychic pokemon since it had no notable wings. Normally a side alley would stop at a dead end and the trainer would turn back - but not today since there, standing right in front of them was probably the weirdest and most eccentric looking door they had ever seen. It was a white door with a gold pattern around the edge and a knob to match. If that wasn't weird enough it gave off a strange aura that felt like a command.

Greninja growled when he saw the door, and he didn't trust it to lead somewhere dangerous. "I don't think it's going to attack us Greninja. I can understand your concern - but there is nothing about the door that sees or feels dangerous." Rex pointed out and Greninja hesitated for a moment, still uncertain about it. "Come on. What's the worst that could happen?" He asked innocently.

Greninja gave him the benefit of the doubt and a slight nod to show that he would go along with him. Rex smiled and opened the door.

He gasped.

On the other side there was a massive white space with a light beige pathway that lead to a deep blue door with silver engravings. The sky was mass of light/neon/metallic bright colours that were stunning and at the same time eerily silent. Greninja tensed, as if he expected trouble but there didn't seem to be anybody else there. Cautiously they stepped through and the door slammed shut then disappeared. Rex turned around and swore. Behind him the door had vanished and there was a ledge that lead to nothing. Or a long painful drop.

"I really hope this isn't some kind of joke." Rex said nervously and began walking towards the door followed by Greninja who wasn't at ease either with this and also continued as there was no alternative. When he put his hand on the second doorknob, Rex turned to Greninja and asked "Are you ready?"

Greninja replied with a single nod and Rex opened the door. They both let out a gasp as they saw that they were on top of a big mountain like area on a big shiny cream platform that radiated an aura of authority. To top it all off there were several pokemon there. Three of them looked similar with mainly blue bodies but one was also yellow, another blue and the last one pink. It took the pair of them to realize that the pink pokemon looked exactly like the shadow they saw earlier.

"So you've finally come - Rex Vermend. I was hoping that you would." The pink one said in a young voice. "I am Mesprit, this is Uxie and that is Azelf." Mesprit introduced herself.

"Before I go crazy can someone tell me JUST WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" Rex said, his voice getting louder and panicky. Those names... He'd heard them before but where?

"Calm down. We aren't here to hurt you. In fact, we need your help." Azelf explained quickly whilst shooting a glare at Mesprit. "My apologies for Mesprit, she can be overly dramatic at times."

"What?" Rex was dumbfounded and confused. I know those names. Why can't I remember the-! It then dawned on him and he began to tremble on the spot.

"Now look at what you've done here, Shakespeare! You've scared him to death!" Azelf snapped at Mesprit.

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about Azelf. I haven't done anything. If you hadn't butted in like that..." Mesprit retorted.

"Enough! Could you please spot this squabbling and get straight to the point!" Uxie interjected and it quickly descended into a three way argument between the Lake trio. Rex stopped trembling and couldn't believe that they were getting into an argument over... Whatever the heck it was they were arguing over.

"For Arceus' sake you three! Can you ever grow up?!" A deeper voice thundered, silencing the Lake trio. Uxie was the only one who wasn't startled by this shouted but looked apprehensively as a white line appeared in front of them and it split to reveal a large portal. Through that portal came two pokemon. A blue quadruped and a pink biped pokemon. The blue one had a long head and a bright shining diamond on his chest. Meanwhile the pink one had two shining pearls - one on each shoulder.

If Rex wasn't scared earlier he was now. He fell forward in a position that looked like he was bowing and Greninja followed suit. "P-please don't eat me!" Rex begged, still trembling. "I confess! I used Greninja's tongue to clean the dishes when he was asleep!" Greninja jumped up in shock and glared at Rex, having somehow ignored the presence of everyone else.

They both looked on amusement and the pink one (Palkia) said, "Whilst that is highly amusing, like they said we need your help. Urgently." Rex stood up and merely looked on. "Arceus is dying and He has told us that you and only you can inherit the power of the plates."

"Why me?" Rex asked, completely baffled.

"Hah! Uxie you owe me 10,000 Pokedollars!" Azelf said, smirking at Uxie who groaned.

"Two reasons. One - you have a pure heart and the other is that your body can handle the transfer of power." Palkia explained. "The reason we decided to choose a human is because the last time it happened... Well, let's just say 3000 years ago was a tricky business for both me and Dialga. To make things worse, Xerneas and Yveltal got involved. That was not a pretty sight." The huge legendary admitted - sweatdropping slightly.

"You were responsible for that?" Rex asked in disbelief.

"Indirectly. We sent the power there 3005 years ago and it waned a bit - obviously not enough." Dialga said nervously. "Getting back on topic - another reason we chose is because I had a dream of a dark future if we were to bury it somewhere else. Considering the progress that humans have made, I can only dread what might happen." He shuddered.

"O... K..." Rex agreed slowly, not wanting to imagine what a weapon on that scale would do. It then occurred to him, "Hang on. How does this work? How exactly do I inherit the power of the plates?"

"It's simpler than it sounds, but we can't transfer everything at once otherwise you would die." Uxie said. "So, we decided that you'll start off with 5 plates. Some will be unlocked as you get stronger, others you will have to find. They could be anywhere and when you get close to one you'll feel it Rex. You'll also react according to the type your currently using. If the attack type cannot be distinguished then it'll do regular damage."

"Seems fair." Rex acknowledged with a nod once he understood that.

"Now _you_ owe _me_ 20,000 Pokedollars Uxie!" Mesprit said, delighted. Uxie began crying in despair. Those two are hopeless.

"What is with your newfound obsession with gambling you three? We have work to do." Dialga said, irritated by their childish behaviour. Uxie stopped and nodded then the three of them formed a triangle around Rex, who returned Greninja to his Pokeball. A light glowed golden and a circle formed that resembled the chest ring surrounding Arceus. Rex felt something surge through him. Is this what they were talking about?

"This is just the start to let Him know we're ready. He should be arriving soon." Palkia said. As if on cue a golden circle rippled the air and a strange quadruped pokemon came through leaving rainbow ribbons trailing in the air for a few seconds. This had to be Arceus and Rex began to tremble in awe at the sight of the Alpha Pokemon.

"Is this the person you have chosen Dialga, Palkia?" Arceus asked to each of them in turn. He sounded frail and weak, as if he could drop dead at a moments notice yet somehow had the strength to carry on. "Good, now then you must pick five types to start off with. The rest will be up to you."

"Hold up! Where the hell am I going?" Rex said and Arceus quickly turned to Palkia.

"You forgot to tell him?!" Arceus boomed and Palkia flinched at the loudness of it.

"Uh, no I was just waiting for the right time." Palkia said, lying through his mouth. "Very well, I'll tell you. The place where you're going is somewhere your newfound power can easily fit in. In a land far, far away lies the kingdom of Fiore, a small, peaceful nation of seventeen million, and a place filled with magic. Found in every home, bought and sold in every marketplace, for most, magic is merely a tool, a mundane part of everyday life. For some, however, magic is an art, and they have devoted their lives to its practice. These are the wizards. Banded together into magical guilds, they apply their skills in search of fame and fortune. Many such guilds dot the landscape of Fiore, but there is a certain guild in a certain town that soars high above the rest, one from which countless legends have been born. A guild that will no doubt continue to create legends well into the future. Its name... is Fairy Tail." Palkia concluded dramatically.

"Do you realize that sounds like the intro narration for a show?" Rex said raising an eyebrow, but that comment went unchallenged.

"One more thing. Depending on the plates you currently use you can assume the form of a Legendary. In essence you'll look like a hybrid of a human and said Legendary. However, it does use up more stamina than normal, so don't push yourself too much." Arceus advised. "Now then, choose the five types that you'll start with."

Rex nodded as a serious look crossed his face. "Okay. I choose Fire, Water, Electric, Fighting and Flying." The power coming from the light surged and was mixed in with red, blue, yellow, light blue, and maroon. He could feel physical and mental change happening. Memories of 1000s of years flashed through his mind. If it weren't for the outside force controlling them then he would've been scorched, frozen and goodness knows what else.

So this is the power held inside the plate. Amazing. Rex thought as a portal opened up beneath him. It then hit him that he was in midair and could vaguely make out the wish of good luck that came across Arceus' lips and merely nodded. Then it stopped and he fell through it and to a place known as Hargeon Town.

* * *

**?, An unknown length of time later...**

* * *

Rex woke up and found himself on a train at a station. A sign said Hargeon Station. He made to get out and noticed a group of two people and a cat.

"Is he all right?" The conductor asked. The other man was lying down and wasn't looking very well. He had salmon pink hair and wore a sleeveless, gold trimmed, black waistcoat along with white knee-length trousers, a thick black wristband on his left wrist, black open-toed sandals and a scale-patterned scarf around his neck. The boy also carried a rolled up comforter and his name is Natsu Dragneel.

"Aye. He's always like this." Rex looked startled because, unless he was mistaken, it was the cat who had talked. A blue cat with a white underbelly and really big black eyes. He also carried a small bag and his name is Happy.

Rex ignored the scene and chose to exit the train. Outside, he looked around, not sure where to find the nearest map of Fiore. In fact he didn't know where the nearest magic shop was. _I'll look round the town for an hour or two then ask for directions._ Rex thought and saw Happy chasing after Natsu. He chuckled at the sight and began walking.

It didn't take long for him to come across something odd. Girls were running past him in their groups of three or four and looking as if they were in love. "He's here! Salamander is here!" They cried. Salamander a relatively tall and slim man with mildly short, spiky dark blue hair jutting outwards, with a long fringe left hanging over the upper left part of his face. He has a strange mark that looked like a curved X on his forehead. Salamander also wore a dark blue robe and also wore a couple of rings on his fingers.

At the center of this group was nervous looking blonde who looked nervous and Rex moved several girls. At the same time, Natsu and Happy burst through saying "Igneel! Igne - You're not Igneel." He then proceeded to be beaten up by the girls. The blonde girl snapped out of her trance.

"I'm Salamander. Perhaps you've heard of me." Salamander said to Rex with what was supposed to be a charismatic smile.

"Uh... Who are you?" Rex asked and now it was his turn to be beaten up by a bunch of girls.

"How disrespectful!" "Yeah! Salamander is a famous and really cool wizard!" "Talk about uncool!"

Salamander merely laughed and it really got on Rex's nerves. "Calm down ladies. There's plenty of me to go round. After all, the boy didn't mean it. Here." He conjured a flame and wrote his signature on a board. "For you."

"So generous!" They squealed. The blonde girl, Lucy, was the only one who didn't squeal. Rex stared at the signature for a minute and handed it to Natsu. "Do you want it?" He asked and the death glares started to appear. Natsu stared at it for a minute and handed it back.

"No thanks." He said and turned to go. The screams of anger and yelps of disbelief as they proceeded to almost literally tear them to pieces and throw them out. Happy seemed to be the only one who wasn't hurt and he walked over.

"It wasn't him." Happy commented.

Salamander smiled. "I appreciate you admiration ladies, but now I have to do some errands. You're all welcome to my boat party however." He said and left on a trail of fire. Lucy stood next to the pair of them and Happy looked on.

She took the three of them to a restaurant and Rex heard his stomach growl and then he realized how hungry he was. Inside Natsu and Happy ate ferociously at a rate some thought unbelieveable. Rex took his time, but appeared to be eating a lot as well.

"So let me get this straight, Lucy. Salamander was wearing a Charm Ring, which was outlawed, meaning he went through plenty of trouble to get it and our accidental interference broke it. To top it all off, you're a Mage hoping to join a guild?" Rex summarized.

Lucy nodded and smiled at the last part. "That's right! It isn't easy to get in, but I know I can get in! After all, I'm a strong wizard for my line of Magic. What was with that name anyway, uh... Igneel?"

"Ib's bhe bame bob bumbone b'm boobing bor." Natsu said and he swallowed his food.

"Yup, yup!" Happy chimed, eating a fish.

"A person?" Rex asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No. He's a dragon." Natsu remarked offhandedly. Rex's jaw dropped and Lucy recoiled from shock.

"Seriously? But they are hard to find. Almost impossible!" She pointed out. "Besides, why would a great big dragon hang around town?"

"Ya know, I never thought about that." Natsu admitted. When Lucy put the money bills on the table Rex inspected one and made note of the local currency - Jewels - and Natsu and Happy fell to the floor, thanking Lucy.

"That really isn't necessary!" She exclaimed, embarrassed by their behaviour.

Later Lucy was reading through Sorcerer Weekly staring at the pages with pictures of Mirajane Strauss who was a frequent model for the magazine and happened to be a member of a guild called Fairy Tail, who had also been in reports of collateral damage. "Ha ha ha! They are unbelieveable! Now they destroyed seven private homes although they destroyed the Devon Thief home. But that is what makes Fairy Tail great and why I'll join them! They're the best!"

"Did I hear that you want to join Fairy Tail?" Salamander popped out of the bushes and had been eavesdropping.

"Hold it! You're using Charm Magic. It won't work on those who are aware of it!" Lucy said shrewdly and Salamander sighed.

"You're very perceptive. Such a shame though. I can get you in to Fairy Tail." He remarked offhandedly but looked surprised and Lucy hovered between love and Lucy.

"Really?" Lucy blurted out and fell under the Charm Spell.

"Have you heard of Salamander from Fairy Tail?" Salamander asked, smile widening.

Lucy felt her heart skipped a beat. "You are **THE Salamander?!**"

"Of course. Just turn up at my boat party and I can help you." Salamander said before disappearing in a flash of purple fire.

Once he vanished, Lucy fumed at the fact that she had fallen for charm but that was forgotten since Salamander had promised to help her join Fairy Tail. Unbeknownst to either of them, Rex had been eavesdropping as well, even if it was completely by accident. He moved carefully and decided to actually get a good look at himself in a nearby fountain.

Rex now had shoulder length hair which was mainly white, save for a couple of golden locks at the front. His eyes were now green and wore a small diamond shaped earring on both ears. His clothes now consisted of a somewhat flamboyant white, golden lined coat and a light green shirt underneath accompanied by a red tie. Rex had a black and gold belt which held up his white trousers and had a pair of gold, white and red shoes to match.

"Cool." He said simply. "I don't trust that Salamander guy. I'll investigate his little party."

* * *

Happy: And then...

* * *

It was nighttime and on Salamander's boat there was a party with all the girls from earlier attending. Lucy was wearing a maroon coloured dress and black shoes that looked very elegant.

"You look stunning, my dear. How about a drink?" Bora said pouring some wine and then using Telekinesis to levitate some drops of liquid and Lucy began to feel sleepy. She then noticed another ring that had a crescent moon on it. It was Sleep Magic and she snapped back to reality.

"Hold on. Why are you using a Sleep Ring when you promised that I would join Fairy Tail?" She asked and Salamander smirked.

"Perhaps you're too perceptive." Salamander chuckled and two pairs of hands grabbed her arms. She looked round startled and saw that his men were carrying unconscious girls.

"What is this?" Lucy asked and was getting angry.

"My merchandise. You too." Salamander said then slapped her hand which held her Celestial Spirit Keys. "So you're a Celestial Wizard? No matter, they are of no use to me since you're contracted to them." They fell into the water.

"You... You're the worst Mage ever!" Lucy shouted and Salamander prepared to brand her with a mark to show she was a slave. Then Happy and Natsu crashed through the roof, after a moment the latter slumped against the wall and groaned something about moving.

"Talk about anti climatic!" Lucy burst out, unimpressed. She then felt the weight on her arms lift as two men were sent sprawling. The man had dark skin, brown eyes and short spiky blonde hair to contrast. He wore a sleeveless light grey jacket and a pair of black fingerless gloves. He also wore a pair of baggy orange jeans with a green/blue stripe on each side and didn't wear shoes or socks.

"Tch! Natsu you flaming idiot!" The man said to the pink haired wizard and Lucy recognised it as the same voice coming from the white haired person she encountered along with Natsu and Happy. _No way! They cannot be the same person, can they? _She thought.

"Happy, how can you fly?!" Lucy yelled as she saw the cat fly. Happy wasted no time and grabbed Lucy.

"We can talk about that later Lucy." Happy said and began flying away. Salamander cried out and sent a large purple flame towards them and missed.

"Wait a second, what about Natsu?" Lucy called out.

"I can't carry two people. Rex can help Natsu." Happy explained.

_I don't believe it! They are the same person!_ Lucy thought in shock.

"Lucy! Lucy!" Happy called out her name. "I'm almost out of Magic."

"Wait a second!" Lucy cried out and they both fell into the water. She spotted her Celestial Keys at the bottom and an idea quickly formed in her head. She dived and swam down then searched through her Keys until she saw a Gold Key with a strange symbol on it. The Key of Aquarius. Happy looked on curiously.

"**Open: Gate of the Water Bearer - Aquarius!**"

She inserted the Key into the water and there was a golden glow in the water. Floating in the air there was what appeared to be a mermaid with long light blue hair and held a vase. Aquarius was not looking too happy and appeared to be having a case of bad attitude.

"WOOOAH!" Happy said, amazed at how she summoned a giant fish.

"Tch!"

"Don't 'Tch!' me! Now hurry up and get the ship on shore." Lucy said, irritated by her attitude.

Aquarius had other ideas and gave her a death glare. "Don't ever lose my Key again!" She said in a threatening tone and scared the two of them.

"I'm sorry! I'll be sure to keep it safe from now on!" Lucy cried and Aquarius faced the harbour then let loose with her vase and sent a Giant Wave of water towards the ship. Somehow she managed to catch Lucy and Happy in the wave as well.

Meanwhile back on the ship Rex carried Natsu and also tried to avoid Salamanders attacks. "What sort of weakness is motion sickness?!" He complained and Natsu couldn't reply.

"**Prominence Typhoon!**" Salamander shouted and formed a Magic Seal. He then sent a strange purpled coloured spiral of flame towards the pair and Rex jumped forwards towards the front of the ship.

"Ack!" Rex said as he felt the weight of Natsu on him. "How much did you eat at that restaurant?! And why aren't you fat?!" He asked rhetorically, then felt and heard a rumble from the water. _Do not look. Whatever you do, DO NOT LOOK!_ Rex thought to himself and looked.

"...mother." Was all he could say before the Giant Wave hit the boat and sent it crashing into the harbour, turning it on its side and destroying most of the deck. The girls that had been seduced were coming to their senses and ran away. Lucy and Happy were 5 feet away and the blonde Celestial wizard wasn't happy with Aquarius.

"Why did you wash me up?!" She fumed.

"It's not my fault. You were stupid enough to get caught up. And don't call me for another week okay? I'm going on a date with my _boyfriend_." Aquarius replied, smirking at the last word before disappearing in a flash of golden light.

"You don't have to brag about it!" Lucy fumed.

"That's much better." Natsu groaned and glared at Salamander. "So you're supposed to be from Fairy Tail, huh? Then how come I don't recognize your face? I WANT TO GET A CLOSER LOOK!" He shouted and revealed a tattoo mark. It looked like a half-heart that was on fire.

One of his minions trembled in fear. "Bora-san! It's the real deal!" He shouted.

"Don't call me that!" Bora snapped and turned back fearfully.

"Ah! I know that name. Bora was once a member of the Titan Nose Guild until he was caught stealing using his magic. Then he was kicked out and given the name Bora of Prominence." Happy chimed in, glaring at Bora as he remembered.

"Bora, huh? I don't care if you are a bastard or a good person. NEVER. IMITATE. FAIRY TAIL!" Natsu roared. Several henchman rushed forward. But they were stopped by Rex, still using the power of the Fist Plate.

"**Force Palm!**" He cried and swiftly smacked two aside by thrusting his palm against their stomach, which sent them flying. "**Aura Sphere!**" Two blue orbs with a swirling vortex appear and Rex threw them at two groups of minions, subduing them.

Natsu brushed aside another pair with his bare hands, glaring at Bora.

"Fool! **Red Skull!**" Bora said and a Magic Seal appeared above his head and a large, bright reddish purple ball of fire appeared and sent it straight at Natsu who didn't flinch.

"No!" Lucy cried but Happy stopped her by using his wings and a fierce expression crossed his face.

The ball of fire exploded and Bora smirked. Rex panicked then raised an eyebrow. The sounds of someone eating made them stare at Natsu. "Fire doesn't work on him." Happy explained and true enough, it was Natsu eating the flames.

"You call this fire? This has to be the most disgusting fire I've tasted. Still, thanks for the meal." Natsu smiled, smacking his fists together. "I'm all fired up! **Fire Dragon's Roar!**" A fiery red Magic Seal appeared and Natsu cupped both hands around his month like he was blowing a trumpet and a torrent of fire burst forth burning every one of Bora's minions. The wizard avoided the attack but wasn't out of it just yet.

"Don't run away!" Rex said, angered and in hot pursuit.

"**Hell Prominence!**" Bora cried out and fired a red laser at Rex.

"**Detect!**" Rex replied and his right eye flashed white, protecting him from any damage. The beam hit and engulfed Rex in a column of purple-red fire. Bora smirked, then his jaw dropped as he saw that Rex was unharmed. His right arm glowed white and jumped towards Bora. Then Rex preformed a Sky Uppercut, sending him flying in the air and next to Natsu, who had just finished going overboard.

"Heh!" He smirked and Lucy was quaking in her boots.

"Why are you celebrating Natsu? We have a slight problem here!" Rex pointed out as the army came to arrest them.

"Come on!" Natsu said as he grabbed Lucy. "Yah wanna become a member of Fairy Tail, don't yah?" Lucy smiled.

"I'm coming too, seeing as I don't have anywhere to go." Rex said and began running alongside them.

* * *

**Outside the Fairy Tail Guild Hall, Magnolia Town**

They arrived at the Fairy Tail Guild Hall the following day. The Guild Hall stood a few metres tall and was made out of wood. There was a big banner with the Fairy Tail guild mark on it right and it said "Fairy Tail" above the gate.

"Woooow! I can't believe I'm going to actually join Fairy Tail!" Lucy squealed with excitement.

"I thought the Guild Hall would be bigger than this, considering what I've heard about this Guild." Rex admitted but wondered why Fairy Tail was known as one of the strongest Guilds in Fiore. When they entered they saw wooden tables with chairs and a bar. The bartender was a beautiful woman with white hair and simple long dress. This was Mirajane Strauss, Fairy Tails poster girl who featured on Sorcerer Weekly.

"Amazing! Who knew that Mirajane also worked at Fairy Tail!" Lucy gasped in shock. However, Rex looked at Natsu.

"I'm back!" He announced then ran furiously towards another member before kicking him in the face. "You bone head! That rumor was a fake!"

"Hey, it was just a rumor! All I did was pass it on! And you had to go overboard with your Fire Dragon's Roar!" Said member protested and the two of them began to argue, which quickly became a fight.

Another, eager and smoother voice cut across. "So Natsu's finally back, huh?" It came from a male wizard who had spiky, dark blue hair and wore a necklace with a small sword in a stone attached to it. He seemed to wear nothing else on the upper half of his body. On the lower half, the wizard wore black jeans held up by a brown belt and had black shoes to match. His name is Gray Fullbuster.

"Gray... Put some clothes on." A female said and was drinking from a barrel. She had dark brown hair and didn't wear much aside from a blue bra and a pair of short pants along with a pair of high heeled sandals. She also carried what appeared to be a deck of cards and kept them away from her barrel. This wizard is called Cana Alberona.

"Ah crap!" Gray cried out and began searching for them.

"A real man would use his bare hands." A deeper voice said from behind. This person was taller than most and dwarfed most if not everybody present. He had spiky white hair and wore a long black jacket with the kanji for "the greatest" on the back in white. A scar ran up the right side of his face across his eye and wore a pair of dark blue pants and some form of sandals. He was known as Elfman Strauss.

"Shut up!" Natsu and Grey both yelled, sending him flying with a single punch.

Another male wizard got hurt. He was sitting down with a pair of girls and had orange hair. His eyes were cloaked by a pair of blue sunglasses and also wore a distinctive lime green jacket. His name was Loke. "Talk about an annoyance. Excuse me ladies." He said and began to fight as well.

A wine bottle hit Mirajane on the head and she fell down. "Shouldn't you stop them?!" Lucy cried out in shock.

"There isn't much point. Besides, this sort of thing happens frequently." Mirajane said and her right eye twitched.

"AAH!" Grey yelled as Natsu stole his underwear. This meant that he was now completely naked. "Give it back flame brain!"

_Oh shit!_ Rex thought and looked away. Lucy was behind Grey and blushed a deep panicky red.

"Heh!" Natsu smirked, and Grey stood up and turned to Lucy. "Can I please borrow your underwear?" The raven haired man asked casually.

"I'm not loaning out underwear!" Lucy said, punching Grey in the face. He got up and raced towards Natsu.

"Quit fighting now! Can't a girl drink in peace?!" Cana shouted, getting irritated. When no one took notice she held up a glowing card. "Alright, since you won't listen - I'll force you to shut up!"

"A real man wouldn't drag others into this!" Elfman shouted, but he meant his sister specifically. A Magic Seal appeared in front of his arms. Loke twisted a ring and it glowed golden. Gray placed a fist on the palm of his other hand and a shiny blue seal appeared and Natsu held two flaming fists, ready to attack anyone who went for him.

"Magic?" Mirajane said nervously. "This could get complicated." Rex sweatdropped.

"**That's enough!**" A harsh deep voice thundered. A giant black shadow stopped the participants from using Magic and most of the wizards ceased fighting. "**You dolts, you'll destroy the Guild Hall at this rate!**"

"Haha! Look at all you cowards running away from me, I'm the best! I'm- oof!" Natsu didn't finish as a giant foot floored him.

"There you are Master! I didn't see you!" Mirajane commented.

Rex had jumped into Lucy arms and they exchanged an odd look. Then Lucy dropped him suddenly and Rex looked at the Guild Master who had shrunken down to his normal size. He was actually a small person with an odd blue and orange hat. He also wore a jacket that matched his hat on top of a white shirt with the guild mark on in black.

"Hello." Master Makarov said in a gentle, caring voice. Then he jumped up to the second floor and looked down at everyone before he burst out in frustration. "Look at this!" He held up a stack of papers. "Never ending complaints from the Magic Council! Cana! Not only did you falsely claim that liquor as expenses you also sent the bill to the Council! Elfman! I have been informed about how you assaulted your escort!" He continued to scold the rest of the Guild and the trio of wizards in particular looked guilty. "Gray, although you sucessfully carried out your job you walked around the town completely naked and stole a pair of underwear! However..." Makarov suddenly smiled and the set the paper alight then threw it down. Natsu jumped up eagerly and began eating the fire.

"I say fiddlesticks to the Council and their rules! Magic itself is unreasonable, and from that is where reasoning is born! With these rules your Magic will have no way of growing! Do not be afraid of those higher up, and let you Magic continue to grow in your way. Only you are one with your magic which flows with you. Remember this well and that is why Fairy Tail is number one!" Makarov said, much to the delight of everyone present and the guild cheered.

Lucy and Rex later received their Guild marks courtesy of Mirajane. Lucy had a pink mark on the back of her left hand whilst Rex had a yellow mark on the left side of his neck. The former took time to admire her guild mark. "It isn't this cool?!" She said, absolutely amazed by the sight.

"Yeah, yeah." Natsu said unimpressed. Happy was eating a fish contently.

"So Rex, where do you come from?" Makarov asked curiously.

Several other wizards had gathered around, including a distinct fat wizard named Reedus Jonah who happened to be a painter, and Team Shadow Gear. Gray and Elfman had also come in to find out more about this new member.

"Heh, let's just stay that the Kalos region is a very long way away from Fiore." Rex replied in a raised voice, catching the attention of most of the people present in the guild. "In fact..."

"I'm from another world."

The silence that followed was broken by Gray, Elfman and Natsu laughing. "Gray, clothes." Rex said nonchalantly. The mage stopped laughing and once more began searching for his clothes.

"You seem unnaturally calm. Can you explain more?" Makarov said, startled but still curious. Rex nodded and started by describing how his world was different - it had no magic and was populated with creatures known as Pokemon, then moved on to where they were and briefly mentioning the Legendary Pokemon.

Once that was done he got out a map and showed the wizards each region from Kanto to Kalos, including the regions of Fiore (which caused some confusion at first), Almia, Oblivion and Orre. Then he told them about how Trainers like him worked with pokemon, the breeders, the general works including the Elite Four amnd the champion.

Then he moved on to how he ended up here and the meeting with the guardians of space and time and his acquirement of the plates, but left out some key information. Some of the wizards like Lucy, whose spirits came from another world, understood immediately and others like Makarov were just smart. The rest had it simplified.

"How many do you have?" Gray asked.

"5 for now. Fighting, Flying, Water, Fire and Electric." Rex said, thinking for a moment. A grin spread over Natsu's face.

"Can you show me one of your Pokemon?" Levy asked. She was a blue haired wizard who used a form of Letter Magic known as Solid Script. Beside her were Droy and Jet. Droy had black hair done in an unusual hairstyle and used Plant Magic. Jet had orange hair and wore a distinctive hat and used High Speed.

"Sure. Make some space first." Rex said and took out a strange red and white ball that was divided by a black line and had a small button on it. All of the guild members looked on in curious anticipation. Even Happy was looking on in awe.

"Alright Greninja, we're here!" Rex said loudly and threw it the air. It popped open and a white light burst out. The moment it made contact with the floor it instantaneously took shape and the light disappeared, revealing the Ninja Pokemon - who looked around and observed his surroundings. There was silence for several minutes, which was then broken by Natsu.

"That's supposed to be a Pokemon?" Natsu asked, unimpressed. Greninja growled in response and glared at him.

"It may look unimpressive, but looks can be deceiving Natsu." Rex said and Greninja launched forwards, using Acrobatics on Natsu, inflicting double damage since he didn't have an item and also left several afterimages.

"Amazing! So fast and manly!" Elfman remarked chuckling. The other members looked on in surprise.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?" Natsu roared and made for Greninja who dodged and landed without so much as a sound being produced. Natsu eventually wore himself out and had to lie on a bench.

"Return." Rex said holding out the Pokeball. Greninja disappeared in a flash of red light that returned to the ball. Another silence followed, this time broken by Happy.

"Cool! They're just like Lucy's spirits!" He said with admiration in his eyes.

"They're nothing like Aquarius you cat!" Lucy burst out in anger.

Rex shrugged and saw that Natsu had gotten up again and had a determined expression and was also pointing at him.

"Fight me Rex!" He demanded and a fist roared in agreement.

Rex was taken aback by this statement. He certainly didn't expect this to happen. Some of the members were groaning as if they expected this sort of behaviour.

"Um… How about no?" Rex said and that got Natsu even more fired up.

"I won't take no for answer! FIGHT ME NOW!" Natsu yelled and his head was on fire now. Rex looked round and realized that he didn't have much choice and he would have to end this quickly.

"Fine. Natsu I will fight you - however I will only do so on several conditions. One, we do so tomorrow. Don't argue. And two, we do so outside of the Guild. I don't want us to destroy the Hall." Rex said firmly, cutting off any arguments from the pink haired mage. Natsu grudgingly agreed and sat down again before deciding to look at the job board, and in that time a small boy with spiky blue hair entered the guild, and wore a green shirt with a yellow S.  
"Where's my daddy?" Romeo Conbolt asked, walking up to Makarov.

"Now now, Romeo. Your father has gone on a mission to Mt. Hakobe and will be back soon." He said and looked at the young boy.

"He said it would take a couple of days and he's been gone for a week!" Romeo protested.

"Macao is a very talented wizard and what's more is that he is a part of Fairy Tail. Have some patience." Makarov said and was beginning to lose his patience. "Go home, kid and wait for Macao. He is more than capable of taking care of himself."

A brief silence followed then Macao smacked Makarov across the face shouting "MEANIE!" Makarov didn't react and Romeo began walking away and began tearing up. Natsu punched the board in anger, then began walking away and follow Romeo. "Now you broke the job board!" Nab complained but that went ignored.

"Isn't that a little harsh?" Lucy asked Mirajane.

"Maybe so, but the Master is right. The reason for Natsu's reaction is because he sees himself in Romeo. After all, he was raised by Igneel."

"Igneel..." Rex pondered out loud, "Isn't that the name of the dragon he was looking for?"

Mirajane nodded solemnly. "It's quite a sad story. Igneel was his foster father and taught him culture, the language and his Fire Dragon Slayer Magic. Then one day, he left all of a sudden and now whenever there is even a mention of a dragon he will always be there." Mira paused for a moment. "Sometimes it's as if he lives for the day he sees Igneel again. I wonder... Is history repeating itself?"

"All of us in Fairy Tail, are living under a cloud. Whether we come from dysfunctional families... Or have lost someone close to them. Even me." Mirajane muttered the last sentence but both of them picked it up and said nothing, but Rex had his suspicions.

"I understand the feeling." Rex muttered darkly and pushed the thought out of his mind. He then began to follow Natsu and Happy, with Lucy picking up on the hint as well. Romeo was in the streets of Magnolia and continued to cry. Natsu put a hand on his head to comfort him and it seemed to do the trick. He calmed down.

* * *

Happy: Here's what happened next!

* * *

They took a carriage and like before Natsu was concentrating on ignoring his motion sickness. It wasn't an easy job, and Happy was showing some concern yet wasn't extremely worried. "Haah... Gah, nngh!" He groaned and was quivering.

"You really can't stand vehicles can you?" Rex noted with some concern.

"Aye. He always vows not to go on any form of transport but has trouble keeping that vow." Happy chimed, nodding.

"I wonder why. It's impossible to go anywhere fast without transport." Lucy said, looking at Natsu.

"Why did you answer that?" Happy asked.

"It's called sarcasm, you stupid cat!" Lucy snapped. The carriage stopped suddenly and Natsu sprung back to life. However Lucy was in for a shock when they got out. The mountain was buried about a foot of snow and it was falling with a strong gale blowing.

"S-sorry, but t-this is a-a-as f-far as I c-can go." The carriage driver explained and began going back. Lucy started running after it but was too late.

"Who t-takes a c-crazy j-j-job like this?! It's J-July, it sh-sh-should be s-sunny!" Lucy said, shivering a lot.

"Lucy..." Rex deadpanned. "The f-further up you go the c-colder it gets."

"Aye." Happy chimed, also deadpanning.

"You didn't expect this?" Natsu raised an eyebrow. "You should've worn thicker clothing."

"That's r-r-rich coming f-from you!" Lucy snapped. She reach for her keys and pulled out a silver key with a clock face on it. "**O-Open G-G-Gate of the C-Clock: H-Horologium!**" She said and summoned a tall grandfather clock with the exception that he was hollow inside and Lucy was inside.

"'Why would Macao go to a place like this?' Is what she says." Horologium repeated since none of them could hear Lucy.

"Macao went to defeat a Vulcan. It a magical creature that attacks wizards and the like." Natsu said, and began walking.

"'I'm going back to Magnolia!' She cries." Horologium said neutrally.

"To which my reply is, 'Be my guest.'" Natsu replied. They hadn't taken more than five steps when a large grey and white monkey jumped down.

"A Vulcan!" Happy cried out and it smiled in response. Rex activated the Fist Plate, anticipating a fight.

"Where's Macao?" Natsu demanded, both fists alight. But the Vulcan was not in a good mood and then saw Lucy.

"Pretty girl!" It said smiling eerily.

"'It can talk?!' Is what she says nervously." Horologium said, unfazed but looked on with concern.

"And we're talking to you!" Rex shouted before leaping forwards with Mach Punch. The Vulcan jumped and landed on him, leaving him in the snow. Natsu ran towards him as well but was punched in the gut and Happy flew after him.

Seeing this, the Vulcan picked up Horologium and ran away to cave where he set the clock down and began dancing round him. "Pretty girl all mine! Ho ho!" He began chanting.

"'Please help me Natsu!' My mistress cries out." Horologium said, but he wasn't one who could attack the ape. "Mistress, my time is almost up! I must be going now!" He said before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"No wait! Can't I have an extension?!" Lucy cried. The Vulcan looked puzzled for a moment then continued dancing.

"Now that wasn't funny!" Natsu said and Rex was by him, also not happy. They began to run towards the Vulcan but Rex tripped and bumped into Natsu and the pair slid across to the other side.

"Not cool!" Lucy said and they got up quickly.

"Girl is mine! Not yours!" The Vulcan said.

"Yeah... No." Rex disagreed.

"I won't ask you again. Where is Macao?" Natsu demanded loudly.

The Vulcan looked confused then started gesturing outside. Natsu walked over and Rex stared on._ Is he really that stupid? _He thought.

"Macao?" Natsu asked the Vulcan punched him from behind.

"Natsu!" Rex and Lucy cried. "Hey, I'm still here you stupid ape!" He shouted, getting its attention. The Vulcan glared and ran forwards. Rex waited then burst forwards with Mach Punch, finding his target. Rex then dodged the Vulcan's fists and continued to avoid the apes attacks. The allowed Lucy to reach for her keys and she hesitated.

I don't want to use Taurus since he uses quite a bit of Magic, but I'm going to have to. She held up a key with the Zodiac symbol for Taurus on it. "**Open Gate of the Golden Bull: Taurus!**" She chanted and summoned a giant cow with a nose ring, a cow bell and a giant axe that looked like it could hurt.

"Moooo!" Taurus shouted, catching their attention.

"Listen up, Taurus is the strongest Celestial Spirit I have a contract with!" Lucy said, looking kinda menacing.

"Cow? Girl is mine!" The Vulcan said angrily.

Is struck a nerve in Taurus. "Do not refer to Luuucy as your girl, when I'm allowed to smoooch her booobs as a reward."

"...and I summon the pervert. Never mind about my boobs! Take him down!" Lucy pointed towards the Vulcan. Taurus glared fiercely at the ape and swung his mighty axe. The Vulcan dodged it but Rex jumped and used Brick Break to smack down the Vulcan.

It was to their misfortune that Natsu arrived and was looking kinda green. Not realising what Magic Lucy did, he saw Taurus and the Vulcan. "More monsters?" He cried and then attacked Taurus with a flaming kick as he was about to swing once more.

"Moooo! I have failed yoo-oou!" Taurus groaned.

"Natsu you flaming idiot!" Rex said. "This guy is on our side."

The Vulcan looked at the axe and picked it up. "That looks like it can hurt!" Happy cried out, having rescued Natsu. The Vulcan began swinging the axe mercilessly, and the pair frantically dodged each swing. Eventually, Natsu slipped and it decided to try and split Natsu in two. Thinking on his feet he stopped the axe.

"Quick! Go back to the Celestial Spirit World!" Lucy pleaded, shaking Taurus.

Natsu heated the axe until a drop of liquid metal fell from it and Natsu swallowed it then spat it back out. This was enough to get it to stumble back and a fiery orange Seal appeared beneath Natsu. "**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!**" He shouted before leaping at the Vulcan, and defeating it in one blow and sending it towards the other wall.

"Hah! Did you see that?" Natsu grinned. Then he was startled as the Vulcan began to glow and brick like pattern spread across its body. A bright light flashed and the Vulcan...

"...Is really Macao?! WHAAA-?" Natsu and Rex cried.

"Take Over! It's a form of possession Magic that allow the user to 'take over' the entity. Just like you Rex and your amazing Take Overs." Happy said as he looked at Macao.

_If they refer to it as Take Over one more time..._ Rex thought and helped Macao up.

"Look at me Natsu. I'm a disgrace, I took down 19 of them and the last one got me by surprise." Macao groaned and Lucy shuddered at the fact that he had gone on a job to defeat 20 of them.

"Don't be ridiculous Macao! Defeating 19 is an amazing feat itself!" Rex replied, stunned at what he had said.

Back at Magnolia, Romeo was on his own, crying at the memories of other kids teasing him and saying that all Fairy Tail wizards were drunk. That was what made him ask Macao to go on a job in the first place. When he heard his name Romeo ran and saw his father.

"I'm sorry daddy." He sobbed in Macao's arms.

"Next time your friends tease you, ask them this. 'Has you dad defeated 19 Vulcans?'" Macao said and stood up. Romeo began following him.

"Thank you Natsu, Happy. And you too Rex, Lucy!" The boy shouted.

Makarov asked Mirajane to prepare a temporary room in the storage and Rex looked up, thinking about what had happened. It was a long day and he was tired.

"Can't sleep?" The old Guildmaster asked, coming down.

Rex shrugged. "Not really. It's just... There is a lot to take in. I do have something I wanna ask of you though Master." He admitted. Greninja was snoring gently and was lying on his back.

Makarov didn't say anything.

"About my talent... Can we call it Multitype - a Lost Take Over Magic. I don't wanna be constantly called the Take Over mage, Multitype feels more relaxed."

Makarov nodded. "I understand. You'd better get some sleep for tomorrow. Natsu won't be holding back." He added as a reminder. But by then Rex had already fallen asleep, thinking about the fight.

By the time Rex had woken up he could already hear the hustle and bustle of the Guild. For a moment, he wondered where he was. Then it suddenly came back to him and any sleep evaporated in an instant and he jumped up. "Wake up you stupid frog!" He said banging his fist on the floor next to Greninja. His eyes opened in shock and he stretched then leapt from one side of the room to the other to get rid of any stiffness.

Mirajane came down with breakfast. The smell of eggs and bacon made his stomach grumble. "Sleep well?" Mira asked with a smile.

"Yeah. I think I heard a babble of voices though, what was that about?" He asked and began eating.

"Natsu and Lucy just went out on a job. Team Shadow Gear's Levy expressed disappointment about not being able to go on that job." She explained.

"Mira!" Makarov called. Rex quickly ate the eggs and gave the bacon to Greninja who looked suspicious, but eventually ate the bacon. The three of them went up. "About that job..."

"Does the client want to cancel it?" She asked and got out a big book which contained details of many clients.

"On the contrary. He's upped the reward. To two million jewel." He said, smiling as he did so. Everyone stopped, eyes widening in shock.

"Well, this job just got interesting." Gray smirked.

Later, Rex remembered something. "Ah yes, Master I wanted a word with you. I was too tired to discuss it last night." Makarov was sitting on the bar and now had his attention on the young man, he nodded. "Can you keep this a secret from the Magic Council, please? If word gets out, unfriendly ears might pick this up and start searching."

Makarov nodded. "It's understandable. I was holding on my decision and wait for you to speak up about it anyway. Besides..." He smiled. "I wouldn't tell the Council regardless. Let that Magic power of yours increase on its own Rex."

Rex stood there, and realised that Makarov was wiser than he was letting on. _He truly is amazing._ He thought and unconsciously turned his attention to Mirajane who busy serving beer to the older members.

"Three beers Mira!" A member called.

"Coming right up!" She said sweetly.

"Mira!" Wakaba called out. He was about the same age as Macao and had a pompadour style hair and wore a green shirt with dark green flowers on it. He also wore a smoking pipe and used that for his Smoke Magic. "Will you go out on a date with me?" He asked, blowing a pink, smoky heart at her.

"Honestly!" She scolded, and made a motion with her hand. A purple brick style light spread across her face and it changed to look like someone much less cuter than her with similar hair to Wakaba.

"Yaaaah! She changed into my wife!" Wakaba cried out and sagged on the bench, much to the amusement of the other Mages. Rex couldn't help but chuckle at the sight before him and Greninja was on the floor, rocking with laughter.

"What sort of Magic is that Mira?" Rex asked.

"It's Transformation Magic, meaning I can make myself look like other people. Advanced users can perform transformations similar to that of a Take Over." She explained, smiling as she did so.

"If anyone calls my Forme Change Take Over..." Rex muttered under his breath. Greninja stopped in fear for a second but continued to act normally. _Maybe I should take a job. That would definitely pass the time, but knowing Natsu, he'd hunt me down._ Rex thought and sighed.

"Hey." Gray was standing in front of him and somehow managed to take his shirt off without realising. "I want you to beat the flame brain for me, alright? I love it when the idiot loses, especially to... Her..." Grey shuddered and for a moment Rex saw fear cross his face.

"Her? Her who Mira?" Rex asked, curious.

"Erza. She's Fairy Tail's strongest woman." She replied, and Rex was surprised at how she didn't sound scared like Grey.

"She's not a woman. She's a monster." Max Alors said, sweating nervously. He had sandy coloured hair and sharp facial features.

"So why is-" Whatever he was going to ask was cut off by the sound of the doors banging open.

"We're ba-ack!"

"Aye, sir!"

"You don't have to be so loud!"

Everyone turned their attention to see Natsu, Lucy and Happy had arrived.

"Hey there Natsu, Lucy! How did the job go?" Mira asked.

"We didn't do it correctly so we couldn't accept the reward." Natsu shrugged offhandedly. He saw Rex and grinned slyly.

Lucy was looking depressed. "I could though."

"Want a fish?" Happy asked, offering one.

"You promised me a fight Rex, so let's fight now!" Natsu shouted, a flaming fist raised.

"Hang on a minute Natsu, I wanna hear this request that you went on Lowry." Rex said to Lucy.

"It's Lucy!" She cried and was happy to oblige.

Last night, Natsu and Happy saw Lucy make a contract with Plue, who was a spirit of Canis Minor. Somehow Plue wanted (according to Natsu) Lucy to form a Team with the two of them which would make tackling jobs easier. So they chose a job to retrieve the book Daybreak from Duke Everlue, a strange person with an even stranger idea of what beauty was. They tried having Lucy dress up as a maid, applying for the position but he said that she was ugly.

So instead they snuck in and searched the library, finding the book. But Everlue had seen the guild mark on Lucy and brought out two members of the Southern Wolf bodyguard guild to kill them. Lucy figured out that there was a secret behind the book and went somewhere to buy some time.

Apparently the bodyguards weren't tough in the end and Natsu easily defeated them. Lucy meanwhile was reading the book with a pair of Gale-Force Reading Glasses. However, Everlue had followed her because he was a wizard too and then summoned Virgo to fight Cancer, revealing that he was also a Celestial Spirit Wizard. She was a large gorilla maid and Natsu was holding on to her tightly. Somehow he survived passing through the Celestial Spirit World and then defeated Virgo, whilst Lucy finished off Everlue.

As it turned out, the writer of Daybreak was Kemu Zealon - a famous author who was also a wizard. He had put a spell on the book that would rewrite itself when the son of the author whose real name was Zekua Melon and the son, their client was called Kaby Melon. Since they didn't destroy the book they couldn't technically accept it, and Kaby was borrowing a friends house to look rich.

"Wow... That is a lot to take in." Rex said thoughtfully and saw Natsu looking at him impatiently. He sighed. "Alright Natsu, I did promise." He admitted.

Natsu grinned. "I'm all fired up now!" He shouted, with his head ablaze.

The whole guild seemed to wake up and began pouring outside, even Makarov and Mira came out in anticipation. Cana took out a board and scribbled Natsu on one side and Rex on the other. "Place your bets now!" She shouted and quite a few Mages lined up, including Elfman and Grey. Natsu had already rushed out in excitement, with Happy following for a bit then flew onto Gray's shirtless shoulder.

Rex took out a 1000J note and looked at Greninja. "Here's an idea, bet a thousand Jewel on me. Don't hesitate Greninja, I know what I'm doing." He promised.

"Okay." He said, in a slightly croaky voice. The two of them stared at each other for a moment in shock, as neither of them expected this but it was short lived as Rex snapped out of it and poked Greninja's tongue twice.

'We can freak out later." Rex said with a smile. Greninja nodded and lined up. Rex went out and faced Natsu, noting the change within the dragon slayer. He now had a serious look on his face and seemed much quieter and calmer than before which also came as a slight surprise. There was also a grin on his face, one that Rex mirrored.

Most of the people (and animals) that had lined up to bet on the match were now circling the pair, muttering and cheering them. Jet bet that Rex would win by changing Forme twice, whereas Droy bet that Natsu would defeat him in no more than seven moves. Gray stood in front of Elfman and next to Mira and Lucy. Happy came and flew next to Lucy, staying in the air.

"Should those two be fighting? We only met him yesterday yet he has joined the guild without a second thought?" She asked.

"Be honest Lucy, are they going to stop being friends like that?" Gray replied. He was one of the few to bet on Rex. Greninja nodded and looked on.

"Who did you bet on Lucy?" Happy asked curiously.

"W-what? I didn't bet on anybody!" She said, shaking her head.

"You're no fun." Happy complained.

"At any rate, those two look like real men." Elfman commented. Greninja was still hesitant of the giant Take Over wizard, but didn't quiver in fear, like Rex didn't shake at Natsu. _I can't use the Flame Plate because he'll eat the fire. For now countering and waiting for an opening seems to be the best option. _Rex was glowing a golden light and started with the Fist Plate.

"That's the form he used when fighting Bora and a Vulcan." Lucy noted.

"Aye, it's quite a strong one too." Happy nodded.

Natsu grinned, recognising the form from the other day. Makarov was standing between them and silence fell. "Begin!" He said and dropped his hands. Natsu rushed forward with a fiery fist. Rex stood still and watched him come closer, and some members wondered if he seriously intended to take the attack. At the last second, Rex jumped and used Double Kick, hitting Natsu twice.

Natsu growled and threw his flaming fist again. Rex countered with Mach Punch and a shockwave was briefly sent through the area. The two took a few steps back and stared each other down.

"This fight sucks." Gray complained.

"Now now Gray, they're just getting started." Makarov said.

Both participants rushed towards each other. Rex made to strike with Karate Chop but Natsu avoided it and jumped forwards with his elbow was set ablaze. "**Fire Dragon's Flame Elbow!**" He shouted and the moment of impact was accompanied by a Seal. Rex grunted and flew back several feet. Streams of fire came close to the crowd, but there was no danger of even being singed.

_Gotta give credit where credit is due._ Rex thought with a smile on his face. Natsu then ran forwards and shouted, "**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!**" Rex crouched slightly and waited until Natsu was closer, then simply sidestepped and a fist glowed white.

"**Sky Uppercut!**" Rex shouted and the force of the attack lifted him several feet high in the air. Many of the people watching expressed shock at how Natsu was in the air with that much force and Gray smirked. Natsu fell down with a solid thump and Rex looked on, waiting in anticipation. The dragon slayer then got up and said "Not bad, after that last attack I'm aching slightly."

Rex's eyes widened in surprise. _Incredible. I think I'm going to have to step up my game._ He thought and decided to risk it. A fist began shining golden as opposed to white and Natsu raised an eyebrow. After a moment the entire fist was emitting a bright golden glow. "**Focus... PUNCH!**" Rex shouted as he rushed forwards and attacked. The impact sent Natsu flying backwards and several members gasped.

Natsu flipped and managed to get a hand to the ground and regain his balance. This time it was his turn and he ran up and pushed Rex off balance then grabbed his face and another Seal appeared. "**Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!**" Natsu shouted and flames erupted on his arms, spiralling then threw Rex onto the other side.

Rex was caught off guard and swore and he felt the fire burning. Now he began to feel the pain, indicating that Natsu was also stepping up his game in response to Rex's Focus Punch. He then rushed forwards but Natsu smirked, having taken notice of something, and inhaled.

A Seal appeared and Natsu brought his hands to his mouth. "**Fire Dragon's Roar!**" He chanted and a large stream of fire was sent at Rex who had to jump out of the way.

"Watch it Natsu!" One of the guild members shouted as he was accidentally singed along with several others.

"That's Natsu for ya!" Happy chimed.

"Shut up!" Lucy said, irritated at how he startled her.

"Heh, since all the moves you used made contact, all I have to do is keep you away from me." Natsu said, cocking an eyebrow. Rex then realised something. _Natsu may be an idiot, but he learns as he fights._ It was strange, but not surprising as his pokemon did that sometimes in intense battles.

As Natsu prepared another Fire Dragon's Roar, a bright blue orb formed and Rex threw it at Natsu. "**Focus Blast!**" He cried and Natsu dodged it. This allow Rex to get in close and grab Natsu, following up the attack with Seismic Toss. He kept Natsu close for a few circles then launched him at the ground. A small crater was left behind and the Mages began cheering again.

The dragon slayer groaned and got up. "That was a surprise for sure." He said, looking slightly pale and Rex glowed golden, signifying a change. Now he decided to equip the Sky Plate. When the glow faded, Rex now had messy brown hair that was spiky and longer than when using the Fist Plate. His outfit was now long sleeved light grey and looked almost like a second skin if it didn't have special thin padding on it in key areas. Something similar could be said about his trousers which were sky blue and Rex had a pair of blue and white shoes. The most notable feature however, had to be his wings which were slightly longer than his arms.

"He can fly?!" Happy cried. "Natsu, don't let him replace me!"

"Why would I do that?" Rex said baffled and took off, gliding several metres above Natsu and slowly gaining height.

"Aw no fair, get down here!" Natsu demanded.

"Make me!" Rex challenged. Natsu unleashed a wave of fire towards him. Rex dived down to avoid the flames and Natsu followed him. Rex then turned and flapped his wings, using Gust. He sent a powerful gust of wind which repelled the flames, forcing Natsu to stop and Rex took this opportunity. "**Air Cutter!**" He chanted and sent a volley of crescent blue projectiles at him. Natsu jumped and tried his hardest to avoid the attack but was eventually caught by them. Once they stopped, everyone saw that Natsu was bruised and a couple of the projectiles had actually cut him slightly. Blood started trickling down his arms.

Natsu growled and jumped up, Rex flew a few feet higher. "**Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!**" He chanted and made several flapping motions. Rex paused then performed several manoeuvres in order to avoid it and pulled up a further few feet.

Decided to use another hard hitter, his wings glowed white and flapped rapidly. "**Hurricane!**" He cried and a rush of wind was directed towards Natsu. When it hit the ground, a fierce tornado formed and Natsu had to cover his eyes and stop himself from being blown away.

Rex dived down and saw that Natsu was looking pale once again. _Wait a moment, doesn't Natsu... That's it!_ Rex thought and smirked, now knowing what to do. Once more there was that golden glow, which meant another Forme change. Now he had large, spiky blue hair, blue eyes and tanned skin, like when using the Fist plate. He was muscular and had a pair of black goggles around his neck. Rex wore long, patterned blue and dark blue swimming trousers as well as a pair of silver and black water shoes.

Some of the female members blushed at him, including Mira and Cana.

Wakaba smirked. "I think he's gonna attract more women than you ever have." He commented to Macao.

"You better watch it pal!" Macao growled, annoyed because he was probably right.

"Alright Natsu, you have one chance to surrender or else." Rex declared and the ultimatum startled the Fairy Tail members. They couldn't tell whether or not he was bluffing, but the confidence in his voice suggested otherwise.

"Alright you two, pay up." Cana demanded of Jet and Droy.

"Huh?" They both asked, confused.

"You said that he would only change twice. It's now been three times." Cana said to Jet, then turned to Droy. "You said that Natsu would win in no less than 7 moves. It's been eight and Rex is still standing."

Natsu smiled, as if to challenge that. He made a 'come on' motion with his hands, and seeing that made Rex smile wider who then held up his hand. A small white light appeared that grew bigger and bigger until it was nearly 2 metres wide. Natsu began running and planned to use Fire Dragon's Iron Fist again, but the light faded. "**Whirlpool!**" Rex shouted and threw the whirlpool at Natsu.

The dragon slayer didn't see the danger until it was too late. He tried to punch through but the fire was put out and Natsu was also caught up in the whirlpool and couldn't fight it, as he began turning green as he went round and round in a comical fashion.

"What's he doing?" Lucy asked.

"Rex remembered Natsu's motion sickness and is using that against him." Happy explained, now gutted that he had bet on Natsu.

"Nice, not only does he have strength, but he also has a brain too. I like him." Gray smirked, glad to see Natsu being beaten. Speaking of which, Natsu was lying on the ground and looked as if he would throw up anytime soon. Eventually he got up, but by that time Makarov declared that the battle was over and the wizards were celebrating.

"I knew I shouldn't have doubted you. Now I have enough money to cover my tab, although I do have to give a few people their winnings." Cana added hastily, as Greninja had glared at her. He then adopted his normal expression and relaxed.

Natsu clearly was irritated and walked up. "Time for Round 2!" He declared.

"You wanna take another trip? I can fly you know." Rex said coolly and Natsu gulped.

* * *

Happy: And then...

* * *

Rex was sitting at the bar the following day and watched as the guild returned to normal, as much as normal got in Fairy Tail. It was then that he noticed Happy coming up to him.

"You should join our team!" He asked, with Natsu and Lucy looking on.

"Team?" Rex asked.

"Aye. We could easily tackle harder jobs. And I want someone else to protect me from Lucy." The blue cat added.

"I can hear you!" Lucy burst out suddenly. "And besides, this team is breaking up!"

"Aye?" Happy looked on, bewildered.

Rex smiled nervously at the sight, apparently she was still annoyed at what happened with that job request. Looking at the bar, he noticed something odd. Makarov wasn't there. "Where has the Master gone?" Rex asked curiously.

"He's gone to the regularly scheduled Council Meeting." Mira replied and turned to a fat wizard with a old styled hat that was distinctive. "Reedus, can I borrow your Light Pen?" She asked.

"Oui." Reedus replied and handed her a green pen with a glowing end. She began to hum a tune as she drew a diagram.

"At the top is the Magic Council in Era. They oversee Magic users in the world and deal appropriate punishment to those who break the laws." She pointed to each level. "Then there are the regional Guild League, where all the Masters of a particular region meet together and discuss issues that could potentially affect where they live. Examples of other guilds in this region include Lamia Scale and Sabertooth."

"Wow, that must be a lot of work. And a lot of guilds too." Rex said, impressed.

"That's right. The links between Guilds are very important, otherwise..." She began and stopped smiling.

Lucy had turned and forgotten Natsu. He interrupted in a menacing dramatic voice and boomed, "_**The black ones will come!**_" This made Lucy jumped and both Natsu and Rex began laughing.

"That wasn't funny!" She cried.

"But the Dark Guilds do exist, and some of them are really scary." She pointed out, amused at his acting.

"Then I'm sure they'll come for you." Lucy said, exasperated. "And back on topic, you only wanted me because I was blonde!"

"That's not true!" Natsu shook his head. "We picked you because you're such a nice person!"

"Aye!" Happy chirped.

Gray decided to step in. "Ya know, you don't have to join a team immediately. They will be more team requests than you can stomach. After all, you took down a gorilla and two members of the Southern Wolf bodyguard Guild."

Loke was also listening. "Lucy, we should form the Love Team! We start tonight!"

Rex stared at Loke, and wondered if he was a womaniser. Loke began walking over whilst Lucy addressed Gray. "Wha-? And that was all Natsu."

Upon hearing his name, Gray got up all of a sudden and walked over to Natsu. He then grabbed his scarf and pulled Natsu close. "So that was you you jerk?" He said, glaring at him and emanating an icy blue aura.

Natsu glared just as hard and was surrounded by a fiery aura. "You got some problem with that?" He replied and tick marks began appearing.

"They're they go again." Rex observed.

"Aye." Happy agreed, looking on blankly.

"Please Lucy, how about going on with me, you don't need those two on a team. In fact..." Loke leaned forwards a little. "Your beauty might blind me if I take off my glasses." The mood whiplashed all of a sudden when he saw Lucy's Keys.

"You're a Celestial Wizard?!" He cried, and bad memories began to resurface.

"Aye! She has a crab and a fish and a dog..." Happy said cheerily, but Loke began to crawl away.

"Why must fate be so cruel!" He said and ran hurriedly out.

"What was up with that?" Rex asked Mira, positively confused this time.

"It has to do with another Celestial Wizard in his past." Mira said and then turned back as Loke was back for some reason. This time his face showed fear and he panted. Natsu and Grey were the only ones making any noise in their physical fight.

"Natsu! Gray! Everyone! Bad news!" Loke started. This time they looked at him, still glaring at each other. "Erza has come back!"

* * *

**Firstly, dramatic moment of dramaticness! And this is the best time to stop the chapter anyway regardless.**

**Secondly, now I've decided to lump the first (almost) three chapters into one giant one, because it would be much better this way. I'll do so with Eisenwald and Lullaby as well. This will be the full first chapter of 10000+ words.**

**Normal type - **Technically Rex is normal type when not using a plate, and he'll realise that during the Galuna Island Arc so expect some jokes about that. I also have a running gag centred around a certain normal type move as well.

**Pokemon - **His pokemon will play more important roles later on (e.g. during the Phantom Lord Arc) so don't worry about them. There will also be no legendary pokemon on his team either. There is going to be at least one that Mega Evolves though.

**Rex's strength - **Right now he's slightly stronger than Natsu since he has a brain, but not quite on the same level as Erza or Laxus yet.

**Daybreak - **He wouldn't make much of an impact on that Arc so I left it out**.**

**Next time - On Rail Showdown**

**Erza explains the plan of action in order to deal with Eisenwald, who have managed to get their hands on a powerful magic item known as Lullaby. But their ace, Erigor is also know as Erigor the 'Shinigami' and very dangerous. Natsu also comes face to face with the man who got Lullaby, but what are Eisenwalds true motives?**


	2. On Rails Showdown

**And now onto chapter two! Holy crap! This is awesome guys. Somebody mentioned about the pokemon, but they'll have more involvement later on. I'll also try and respond to any points raised in reviews. This is the second massive chapter, the next one will cover the rest of the Lullaby Arc.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or Pokemon. They belong to Hiro Mashima and Satoshi Tajiri (and Nintendo) respectively. I only own my character and the idea.**

**Previously on Guardian Fairy -**

**Rex:** Holy crow Father! I knew those Plates were strong but not this strong! No need to worry because I won against Natsu though in a fight, with my brains instead of just brawn. It appears that I am only slightly stronger than a Fire Dragon Slayer, and yes, dragons are different here! There is more to it though, as one of their strongest women returned demanding not only his help, but the help of a cool, collected stripper! I'm going to and so is a Celestial Wizard.

**Natsu:** Like hell I'm going to work for Erza! She can kill Grey for all I care!

* * *

**Chapter 2 - On Rails Showdown**

"Natsu! Gray! Everyone! Bad news!" Loke started. This time they looked at him, still glaring at each other. "Erza has come back!" This statement had a profound effect on the guild, not least that Natsu and Grey suddenly began sweating a lot in fear. To add to that, the guild felt as if it shuddered out of fear as steady rhythmic footsteps became louder and louder.

A women with long scarlet hair appeared carrying a huge decorated horn. She had black boots and wore armour with Heart Kreuz written in black above a yellow cross on one of her breastplates. She also had a brown satchel that she wore around her shoulder. Erza also wore armour on her arms and gauntlets. There was a cool, fierce demeanour about her and many of the guild members looked on in awe and some were looking on in fear.

"E-Erza-san, what is that?" Max said hesitantly.

"It's the horn of a monster I vanquished." She glared at him. "Is there a problem with that?"

"No, not at all!" He replied, shaking his hand rapidly.

"Hello Erza, nice to see you again!" Mira said, bizarrely she was the only one who wasn't scared of her. She continued smiling and walked towards her.

"I have heard that you've caused her nothing but trouble for Makarov. Cana, your drinking in those clothes?" She said and Cana flinched. "Wakaba, your dropping your ashes on the table. Macao..." She stopped, and didn't say anything, Macao looked as if she wanted to reprimand him. "I'll let this slide once. Where is Makarov?" She asked Mira. Lucy stared wide eyed, recognising Erza.

"He's gone to the meeting." Mira explained. Erza's face gave away nothing.

"Very well. I would normally consult the Master, but due to urgency I had to take things into my own hands." She continued in a monotonous tone. Rex felt unimpressed. "By the way, where are Natsu and Gray?" She inquired.

"Aye!" Happy was beside her, having summoned his wings and pointed with his paws. The pair were sweating and now hugging each other rather than punching.

"H-hey Erza. We're just being friends like we always do, right flame brain?" Gray said, stammering slightly.

"A-aye!" Natsu said and smiled forcibly.

"This is not like Natsu at all! He's totally the opposite!" Lucy said, not believing this sudden change of personality. Mira had drawn a poor diagram showing Natsu Gray and Erza with arrows on it.

"Both of them are really afraid of Erza. Natsu challenged her to a fight and she beat him up very badly. One night she found Gray walking round naked and beat him within an inch of his life." Mira tittered.

"Were the diagrams necessary?" Rex said, sweatdropping.

"Good, it's great to see you getting along together. Because I have a favour to ask of you." Silence fell upon the guild as shock settled in. Did Erza really just say what she think she said? All eyes were on her and there was an unheard collective intake of breath.

"I want you to help me. Meet me at the station tomorrow, 7:00 sharp." She said, it was of a demand than a request. "I'll explain the details en route."

"But I-" "I'd never-" They started, and it fell on deaf ears.

"Oh, Erza!" Mirajane said and Rex could've sworn he detected a hint of reluctance.

"Yes?" Erza turned back.

"If you want any more help, then I'd recommend Rex. He's surprisingly strong." She said, gesturing to him.

"Yo." Rex said, holding up a hand. Somehow he was also not afraid and he didn't know why. Mirajane, he understood since she was a bit... Out of her mind, but not insane. Those thoughts made him blush suddenly.

"Is what Mira told me true?" She asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. You should bring Lucy too. She took down a gorilla maid and two bodyguards!" Rex said, putting a hand around Lucy's shoulder.

"Okay... WAIT A SEC!" Lucy shouted upon realising what he had said. Erza simply nodded and walked out. The guild hall relaxed, but were still stunned by this revelation. Even Mirajane was slightly subdued and shivered upon realising something.

"Natsu, Gray, Erza and Rex. Those four alone could make Fairy Tail's strongest team!" She said and Lucy's eyes widened in awe. Even though the guild had only seen some of it, if what was said turned out to be true then Rex could easily be a match for the S-Class wizards. Maybe he could even beat the old man in a fight, something that quickly got disputed in hushed whispers.

"Mira, do you know any other places I could stay until I get a good place to buy or rent?" Rex asked.

Mira thought about it for a moment. "You could stay at our place for the moment." She said. Cana who overheard this made a joke about not getting into trouble, which prompted a glare from the barmaid. She then suddenly developed a cough and drank from her barrel.

**Eisenwald Guild**

Two members were walking down the main corridor of the Dark Guild in conversation. "I wonder which guild the armoured chick belongs to?" One of them asked.

"Does it matter? You're not going to date her if she's going around dressed like that." The other one said, and the first member suddenly glared fiercely at him with intense dislike.

"What did you say?!" "Cut it out you two." A third voice cut in. There was a fourth person, who was undoubtedly the one who stood out the most with his long with hair that was styled not unlike a Mohawk with a tuft hanging over the left side of his face. He had distinct sharp eyes and tattoos on his arms and body as well as wearing a hakama. The defining thing about him was that he carried a large scythe that was meant to look intimidating.

"Is Kageyama back yet?" The man inquired.

"No. It isn't easy to break the seal containing that." The third person explained, unfazed by the other two arguing. They were eventually joined by a crowd of people who were also their comrades in arms.

"Now is not the time to relax. We strike now, when the old farts are at their meeting!" He declared.

**Magnolia Station**

At Magnolia Station, many people were busy going to and from the trains, including the occasional member of Fairy Tail. However a certain team who were setting out to defeat a Dark Guild were making the most noise without question.

"Why the hell does a monster like Erza want me to make a team with her? There is no way in Fiore I'd team up with you!" Natsu glared at Gray, fuming.

The raven haired wizard was wearing a white overcoat on top of a dark blue shirt as well as black jeans and shoes. "I don't know and I don't wanna know, but this guy is the freakiest thing on the planet!" He replied just as vehemently and the pair began trading blows.

"Maybe you should just go home and forget about it!" Natsu shouted hotly.

"Why don't you and see what happens when Erza finds out!" Gray shot back.

"Can't you ever stop fighting for 10 minutes, you two!" Rex snapped, glaring fiercely at the pair, who stopped with the insults but still glared at each other. Lucy and Happy were watching, neither one refusing to comment.

"Why are you here Lucy?" Happy finally decided to ask her.

"Partly because Rex made me and partly because Mira-san asked me to." She pointed out, remembering what the barmaid had told her, next to a sobbing Reedus who was missing his light pen. _The two of them will be at each other's throats when Erza has her back turned. So you and Rex should accompany her to keep them in line_. She figured that she would end up going to join them anyway and decided, grudgingly, to go with them and Plue was also looking on goofily.

"Sheesh, Erza will here anytime soon, so I don't think you'll have to worry much." Rex said, then an idea and grinned slyly. Natsu and Gray continued to glare at each other, as if daring one another to make a move. He whispered in Lucy's ear who smiled as well in agreement and turned. "There you are Erza-san, what took you so long?" Rex asked in a casual conversation. They continued for a brief moment, before acting buddy-buddy and smiling nervously.

"We're such good friends today!" Gray said loudly.

"Aye!" Natsu said, mimicking his facial expressions.

Lucy and Rex began laughing at the sight of those two. It was definitely something they had to do again to keep them in line. It took the pair of them to realise that they had been tricked and looked at them, scandalised.

"You tricked us!" They shouted simultaneously, "You son of a..."

"I'm beginning to wonder if you two really are friends, it's very cute." Rex chortled. Natsu and Gray both began sulking, clearly not happy with the joke and Happy walked towards the dragon slayer offering a fish to help him calm his nerves. He promptly refused. A brief silence followed until it was broken by steady, rhythmic footsteps which only meant one thing. This time, Erza arrived in person. Rex went to greet her then he saw the luggage she was carrying behind her and gaped, with Lucy making a comment.

"That is a lot of stuff!" She cried out and Erza turned to look at them.

"You're the new members, correct?" She asked and stopped to look and Natsu and Gray. The pair were glaring at each other when her back was facing them, and when Erza looked at them they acted friendly. _For some reason, she seems much more rational than most of the idiots at Fairy Tail. Why do they fear her? _Rex thought, still unable to comprehend Natsu and Gray's strange behaviour around the armoured wizard. They both bowed politely.

"My name is Lucy and this is Rex." She said, waving a hand at him.

"Mira recommended you, so she thinks that you can help. I've heard of what you've done, so you should be able to tackle this dangerous mission." She said with a slight smile and Lucy shivered in fear. Natsu and Gray stopped their fighting and the pink haired wizard turned to face her.

"I'll work for yah on one condition." Natsu said and a serious look crossed his face. Gray paled considerably and Rex and Lucy looked on with interest.

"Y-you idiot! I don't need to set any conditions when working with you Erza!" Gray added quickly. Erza ignored him, focusing on Natsu.

"Oh? Name it." She responded.

"When we get back, I wanna take you on! I'm stronger than I was last time!" Natsu declared, much to the surprise of everyone else present.

Erza smiled. "Very well, I can see you've grown. However, this time I'm not certain I'd win." She said and Natsu tensed up, clearly trying to figure out what she meant.

"What are you saying? I don't want you pulling your punches!" He said, raising a clenched fist at her.

Erza chuckled. "He he, all I'm saying is you've grown stronger. Do you want to challenge me as well Gray?" She asked the raven haired wizard who shook his head quickly. Neither Rex nor Lucy could believe that they were being serious and that had satisfied Natsu, because his head was lost in fire.

"Oooh! I'm all fired up now, let's get going!" Natsu shouted and grabbed Lucy, running towards the train...

...Where he was clutching his stomach and panting heavily from his motion sickness. He was next to Rex who sat between him and Gray with Happy sitting on Rex's lap, a blank look on his face. Erza and Lucy sat opposite to them and the train went over a slight bump, shifting Natsu. Gray was looking at Natsu, clearly unimpressed with this sudden turnabout when it came to the train.

"Natsu, you're pathetic! One minute you're all fired up the next your acting like a baby. Sit somewhere else, you're an eyesore." Gray commanded, but Natsu didn't hear him. Or more accurately couldn't hear him.

"I know it looks bad but it happens every time." Lucy pointed out to Erza, who sighed.

"Very well. Natsu, come over here please." Erza requested and the dragon slayer limped over and swapped places with Lucy. She looked on in sympathy for a moment before punching him hard in the gut. Natsu fell unconscious and the rest of the team looked on in shock. "This is so that he can cope with journey."

"So, Erza-san..." Rex began but was interrupted by Erza.

"Please, call me Erza." She said.

"Oh, sorry. The only people I've seen using Magic are Natsu, Happy, Mira and Lucy. What sort of Magic do you use?" He asked. Lucy had to admit that Rex had a point, as she was in the same.

"Erza's Magic is really pretty. Her opponents blood goes spurting everywhere!" Happy said, waving his arms around to emphasise his point.

"What's pretty about that?" Lucy shuddered.

"My Magic isn't much, but if you want to see a prettier Magic then Gray uses it." Erza said. _Based on Happy's description though it would be pretty spectacular though._ Rex thought as the two of them turned to Gray. He didn't say anything but placed his fist in the palm of his other hand. There was a light blue seal and a hissing noise, and when Gray removed his hand there was a beautiful replication of the Fairy Tail guild mark made of ice.

"I use Ice Make Magic." He said and turned to Erza. "So about this mission Erza."

They looked on in anticipation as Erza began explaining what happened and why she requested her help. "Very well. I was coming back from my last mission..."

_She was carrying her horn as well as dragging her luggage. Several people stopped and looked on in awe as they saw her pass, but Erza ignored them. She was heading straight for a local wizard bar to rest for a moment before heading back to Guild. Erza ordered a strawberry flavoured drink and took no notice of anyone else in the room until a group of wizards caught her attention._

_"Where the hell is that liquor waiter?" One of them demanded. This person was a tall man with a square-shaped face and dark hair, which is arranged on the front in a flat tuft going upwards. On his face are distinctive whiskers-like things, with each cheek bearing three of them. He donned a simple attire consisting of a zipped, brownish jacket with a large collar over a dark shirt, dark pants and simple shoes. He took the beer using Telekinesis._

_"Pipe down Byard, we're not supposed to make a scene." The second person said. He was a tanned man with a pointed nose and a sharp chin. He had dark lines circling his eyes and dons a distinctive jacket, light in the low part and dark in the upper one and on the sleeves, which comes equipped with a tight hood covered in black and light stripes. He wore a light shirt under this signature jacket of him, simple pants and shoes._

_"How can anyone take this aggravation and not get mad?! We finally find where Lullaby is and then there is that seal." Byard said loudly and they quickly turned to him._

_"What did Rayule say? He said, pipe down." A third person said. He was a short, hunched and fat man with strange facial features. His attire consisted of a crimson jacket with lighter edges and a high collar, held closed right under it but otherwise being left open, over a light shirt, which, being quite short, revealed much of his stomach, as well as loose, military-spotted pants that was held up by a simple belt and tucked inside boots. He also has a massive necklace around his neck, consisting of several, very large metal discs connected by a rope._

_"Damn!" Byard swore and quickly began drinking._

_"Relax. The seal can't be broken by numbers alone." The final man said calmly, appearing not as bothered as the other men at the table. He was a young man with black eyes and black hair which he tied in a short, spiky ponytail. He wore a white shirt with a high collar and an intricate symbol on its back over a plain, dark red undershirt. He also wears a pair of aquamarine pants, black shoes and small black earrings in each ear._

_"Wait, you've found a way to break the seal? That's Kageyama for you!" Rayule said in a lowered but impressed voice, but Erza was still listening, having finished her strawberry drink._

_"Tell Erigor I'll return with Lullaby in three days." Kageyama said and stood up to leave_.

"...I thought it was going to be something small. That is until I heard the name Erigor. He is Eisenwald's ace, also known as Erigor the Shinigami!" Erza said and Lucy began sweating nervously all of a sudden.

"You're losing lots of soup Loony." Happy said unexpectedly.

"My name is Lucy and it's sweat!" She shouted at him.

"Shinigami? What's that?" Rex asked confused. Erza looked at him in astonishment but he said, "We'll get to that later."

"A Shinigami is a term used for wizards who only accept assassination requests. Eisenwald's leader was arrested and the guild was ordered to disband. Evidently they chose money over the law and have since been classified as a Dark Guild." She explained and Lucy began sweating even more.

"So this means we're going to march on Eisenwald, right? Now I understand why you wanted us Erza. Taking on those four alone would be a piece of cake for you. But the whole guild is a slightly different story." Gray realised and smiled at the thought of taking them out.

"Lullaby... I've heard it before, but I can't quite remember." Lucy frowned. That was lost as the train gave a loud whistle, signalling that they had arrived at Onibus station. They got off and began walking. Lucy was still sweating, now doubly nervous after Erza declared that they would march on Eisenwald.

"You're losing too much soup Luigi." Happy commented, showing concern.

"I told you it's sweat you stupid cat!" Lucy shouted. Rex looked around then realised something as the whistle sounded again.

"Guys, we've forgotten Natsu!" He pointed out and everyone stopped in horror. They were too far away to catch up now as the train began moving. If they had known who was on the train it would be a completely different story...

**On the Train**

Natsu groaned and rocked with the train, the fact that he was upright subconsciously told him that Erza and the others had left them behind. Regardless of whether or not it was deliberate, he couldn't do anything about it except pant heavily. "Haah, nngh, huuh." Was all he could manage. The carriage door opened and a young man walked in, with short black hair dressed like a pony tail.

"Oh my, are you feeling okay? Can I sit down with you?" He requested and got no answer. He sat opposite Natsu anyway and eyed his Guild Mark.

"I see... You're from Fairy Tail, an official guild. How I envy you." Kageyama said, smirking.

"A lot of pretty looking girls join your Guild, correct? Like Mirajane for instance, she looks adorable in Sorcerer Weekly. Wasn't there another more recent member who joined? What was her name now?" Kageyama asked. Natsu couldn't reply and Kageyama sat back for a moment. "Not going to talk? Ah well, you're not going anywhere, so I should take this opportunity and, " He raised his right foot and kicked Natsu's face. "KICK!" He shouted and started laughing.

"Y'know, expulsion sucks. It really is cumbersome to go round as a member of a Dark Guild. You official Guilds, especially Fairy Tail act high and mighty as if you have a right to, whilst we have been denied ours." Kageyama snickered, widening his eyes so they were visible.

"W-what... Did..." Natsu managed to say but the motion sickness was too much for him.

Kageyama laughed. "Hahaha! So you've finally decided to speak huh? Well too bad." His shadow extended and a fist prepared to attack Natsu. However the pink haired wizard suddenly sprung to life and threw a flaming fist, however could only manage one swing as his motion sickness kicked in. The shadowy fist was ripped in two and Kageyama growled in anger. He was about to say something but the train suddenly stopped and they stumbled forwards.

"We've stopped! Alright you bastard!" Natsu growled. "Have a taste of my fly fist!" He shot forwards, but Kageyama said, "**Guard Shadow!**" And a dome made of shadows surrounded him. When Natsu's fist made contact, there was an explosion that rocked the carriage. Kageyama smirked, but that smirk quickly disappeared when a black claw with a red aura slashed him from behind.

"That was my Night Slash." Greninja stated coolly. Kageyama growled in anger, but it quickly turned to shock when both Greninja and Natsu noticed a weird object. It looked like a strange wooden flute with a three eyed skull on the end of it. "You, you saw it!" Kageyama panicked, but Greninja frowned, as if he was missing something. Natsu was in a similar position a là Erza punching him unconscious.

**Onibus Station**

"I'm such a fool! Quick, someone hit me for my penance!" Erza said, looking away with her eyes closed.

"Um, Erza. There is no need for that. All we need to do is find a way to stop the train. In the meantime..." He trailed off and Erza wondered what he planned to do, but Lucy and Gray caught on quickly. He selected a Pokeball and threw it in the air, sending out Greninja. The Ninja Pokemon looked around then jumped back when he saw Erza.

"It's all right. She's on our side. Follow that train and get Natsu. We'll find a way of catching up." Rex ordered and Greninja nodded before disappearing in a blur. He went at a fast, steady pace and to several onlookers it looked as if something blue with a red scarf rushed past them. _I got an idea of what we're trying to do. This means I'm gonna stay out for a while._ Greninja thought and eventually saw the train in the distance.

"Who was that?" Erza asked as they made their way towards the station manager.

"It's a long story. How much are you willing to believe?" Rex asked and began explaining to Erza what he already explained to the guild.

Erza had listened to Rex's story about where he came from with some scepticism, but upon seeing how he had no reason to lie and that Makarov had also believed him, Erza had decided that his story was true. However Rex wasn't sure if Erza was being honest, her somewhat robotic tone was making it hard to tell. After managing to stop the train the group hired a Magic Four-Wheeler which was powered by Magic via an SE plug, with Erza being the driver. Gray, Lucy and Happy were sitting in the vehicle and Rex clung on nervously to the roof.

"Are you sure you believe me? I know you trust Master Makarov, but still..." Rex wondered and the vehicle jolted a little.

"I'll admit I wasn't exactly one to accept your story. However since the Master believes it as well as Natsu I realise that it was true." Erza stopped as the carriage jolted and Rex had an idea.

"Forme Change - Zap Plate." He said and there was a gold glow. When it faded, Rex now had short spiky hair that was a bright golden yellow colour. His eyes were electric blue and he wore a red visor that was held in place by grey and black headphone like attachments. His shirt had very short sleeves and was a metallic yellow colour with a red strip on one shoulder and a blue strip on the other. Rex had grey trousers and grey and black shoes. "Erza, stop. I want to try something."

"What would that be?" Erza asked, looking at the form curiously.

"That's the fourth one, isn't it?" Lucy commented and saw Gray. "What happened to your clothes?!"

Gray looked down. "AH CRAP!" He cried and quickly began searching for them.

"I'll try supplying the car with electricity, whilst you steer. Simple." Rex said and Erza took the SE plug off her right hand. The fact that Rex mentioned he could use electricity reminded her of Laxus - albeit much nicer than the S-Class wizard.

Rex fitted the plug onto his right wrist and decided to sit in the vehicle whilst Gray now had to go on top. "Everyone ready? Good." He said just as Gray managed to find his clothes and dump them on top of Happy. Rex used Discharge and his right arm lit up with yellow sparks. Nothing happened for a moment then the Magic Four-Wheeler shot forward with the speed gauge going past 60, 70, 80 and read a consistent 85-90 MPH. The carriage went over a bump and it flew into the air for a few seconds.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL US?" Lucy shouted above the noise. Gray was clinging on for dear life and didn't bother saying anything.

"Erza stop!" Rex said, tapping her on the shoulder. Erza hesitated, but after going over another bump she agreed and slipped on the SE Plug again. "I wondered if that would happen." He muttered as he resumed his normal Forme and continued leaning out of the window. Despite nearly getting severely injured, the speed they had went at allowed them to catch up significantly with the train.

**On the Train**

"You saw it, I'm in deep trouble now!" Kageyama said, panicking and getting angry. Natsu and Greninja had other ideas, both being oblivious to what the flute actually was. "A shame you won't get to see the Dark Age."

Whatever Natsu was about to say was completely forgotten as the overhead announcer stated, "Please excuse us for the delay. It appeared that we have stopped suddenly under erroneous circumstances. Please stay in your seat as we start moving again." The overhead speakers conveyed. Natsu realised that he would have to hurry quick or his motion sickness would stop him from moving, and he rushed to grab his bags.

"I'll remember your face! You're gonna regret the day you insulted Fairy... Tail..." He grimaced as the train jolted into motion. Greninja grabbed him and threw a Water Shurikan at the nearby window that was intact, shattering it, and the pair jumped out. Unfortunately, the Magic Four Wheeler had caught up and Erza spotted Natsu, recognising him whilst Rex picked out Greninja.

Gray was less fortunate than anyone else because as a result of the momentum, Natsu's head connected with his and they fell off the Four Wheeler. Erza stopped abruptly and walked over.

"What the hell was that for you idiot?" Gray shouted and glared at him when he recovered. Natsu looked at him in a daze and frowned.

"Huh? Who're you? I'm suffering amnesia from the shock." Natsu said slowly. When he saw Happy and the others he was next to them. "Why did you leave me behind on the train?" He said angrily. _That's convenient amnesia you have there._ Gray deadpanned.

"Ahem, sorry about that. We forgot about you whilst we were discussing the mission. What happened to you Natsu?" Rex asked.

"Oh yeah. Well there was this one annoying guy who went one about something called Aye... Zen... Vault..." Natsu frowned and folded his arms. Everyone else jolted when they realised Natsu meant Eisenwald. This made Erza angry with him and faster than you could say 'Aye, sir!' she smacked Natsu hard, sending him flying back several metres.

"You idiot!" Erza shouted. "Weren't you listening on the train?" Natsu looked completely baffled at her, since he was out cold, he never heard about Eisenwald and Lullaby. Rex stopped her from hitting him again.

"Um, Erza? You knocked him out cold, so he didn't hear a thing you said." He pointed out and Erza closed her eyes.

"I apologise for that mistake, someone please hit me!" She requested and Rex shook his head. Greninja then thought it would be a good time to speak.

"There was something else though. He had a small flute like object in a bag he carried. What was weird about said flute was that it had a three eyed skull on the end of it." The Ninja Pokemon pointed out and frowned.

Lucy picked up on that and ran it through her head. She realised something, and remembered what her mother had told her when she was much younger. _But... that is impossible. That was only a rumor - something you told to a child to get them to behave. But then that means... _She trailed off and her eyes widened. "That flute was Lullaby! It used to be a tool used in death curses, but now it's full of Death Magic. When it's played, anyone who listens to it falls into a coma and dies!" She cried out.

For a moment nothing happened, everyone was taking in the facts and then Erza came to the conclusion. "If that is true then we have to catch up with Eisenwald, quickly!" She said and no time was wasted as everyone hurried to the Magic Four Wheeler.

**Kunugi Station**

"Wh-Who are they?" Someone from the crowd asked as Eisenwald had taken over the station and held the staff hostage in case someone tried something.

"I know them, they are a local Dark Guild around these parts!" Another one cried, but Erigor ignored them. He was focused on the train that was coming with Kageyama on it. He was certainly surprised when he saw that part of a carriage looked like it had exploded.

"Get everyone and everything off this train. It now belongs to Eisenwald!" He ordered and his guild members complied, throwing luggage and people out with both pleasure and ease. Kageyama emerged from the wrecked carriage a little dusty but was still intact and smiling. "Did you get it?" Erigor asked expectantly.

Kageyama took the flute out of the bag and presented it to him. "So this is Lullaby. It was a mere tool in curses. That was, until the Black Wizard Zeref upgraded it in a fully fledged dark flute! Anyone hearing this song will sleep and then die. Now we have the means to achieve our ends!" He declared and his followers cheered. However, Erigor couldn't miss the wrecked carriage and when he sat down he pointed his scythe at Kageyama. "What happened to the carriage?" He demanded.

Kageyama chose his next words carefully. "Nothing significant happened Erigor. I just came across a sick fly that's all. Granted he saw Lullaby, but he didn't figure things out." He was cut off by Erigor clicking his teeth, sending a small yet very dense stream of air down his ears. Kageyama stopped for a second before wincing in pain. "Gahhh!"

"You had better hope that he didn't figure out the plan after a glimpse of the flute. You wouldn't want the mission to fail because a fly got suspicious, would you?" Erigor twirled Lullaby in his hand. "After all, there are some forests where flies simply aren't allowed."

**Clover Town - Guild Master's Meeting**

The Guild Master's meeting was a lively place, with many Masters from Guilds all over the area chatting, laughing and having a good time discussing their respective Guilds. Currently, Master Makarov was having a conversation with a bald, elderly person with small wings and make up. This person is known as Bob. He is the Guild Master of Blue Pegasus and known for his eccentricities.

"Ooo, Makarov-chan! I can't help but just with jealousy at your pretty women at the guild!" He cried and placed a hand on his face which was slowly becoming rosy. "I hear you have a new girl who's very outgoing!"

"Yeah, that's Lucy! She's quite the looker too, especially around the chest area! Hya ha ha ha!" Makarov chuckled and took another sip of his drink. It was clear that he was a bit drunk, but didn't seem to mind.

"Ooo, you know you shouldn't touch your Guild Members like that! It's scandalous behaviour!" Bob said, and another figure walked over to join in. He was a slimmer figure than Bob and wore dark glasses along with a hat that had a spiked belt on it. This is Goldmine, the Master of Quattro Cerberus.

"Don't you think you should at least try to curb Fairy Tails destructive behaviour. Natsu alone easily levelled half of Hargeon Harbour. The Council are worried that one day, Fairy Tail with end up destroying an entire town if they are not paying attention." Goldmine pointed out.

"Oh the Council are just acting cowardly!" Makarov objected and hiccupped.

A small bird wearing a smaller hat flew into the Meeting Hall and after a moments gliding flew down to Makarov. "A letter to Makarov-sama from Mirajane-sama!" It declared and Makarov took the letter. When he opened and unfolded it, a small seal appeared along with an image of Mirajane.

"Hey everyone! Whaddaya think of my poster girl Mirajane?" He said and several members swooned in adoration.

"Hello Master, and thank you for all the hard work you've done at the meeting." Mirajane said, and Makarov smiled. It was rare form him to be thanked for working hard. "You wouldn't believe what happened!" She continued wondered what had happened. "Erza made a team with Rex, Gray and Natsu on it! And Happy and Lucy are on as well of course." She added and Makarov stopped in shock.

He then began sweating rapidly. "Isn't this wonderful? If you ask me, this is the most powerful team Fairy Tail has put out. I'd just like to share this with you, so I'm sending this letter to you. Bye!" She said and disappeared. Makarov stared at it for a few seconds before fainting, much to the shock of others present.

_Oh no! At this rate they will destroy an entire town. This meeting ends tomorrow, so I gotta make sure that they don't do anything while I'm gone, please Natsu, Gray, Rex and... Erza! _He thought as he lay down twitching on the floor. Several other wizards went up to him, unsure as what to do.

**Oshibana Town**

The Magic Four Wheeler jolted as it went over a tiny bump, that threatened to fall apart. The little stunt Rex pulled using the Zap Plate had clearly made the vehicle less stable and they would have to be a lot more careful else it might accidentally get trashed. Gray felt the impact and grunted, Natsu was in the back, unable to do anything due to his motion sickness which kicked in before the car has started moving.

_Dammit Erigor, what's are you planning to do with Lullaby?_ Erza thought and grimaced as they saw Oshibana Town come into view. If they were lucky, then they might stop. If they were unlucky then they would have to go onto the rails and continue their pursuit. This could result in her using up all her Magic power and handing the controls over to someone else, and the only candidates were either Gray or Rex.

The latter was currently sitting next to Lucy who had been keeping an eye on Natsu in the event he would try to escape, but right now the dragon slayer didn't look like he was doing anything. "What could Eisenwald want with a train?" She asked to no one in particular.

"The main advantage it has is speed. They clearly want to do maximum damage and do it quickly. Plus, most train lines are interconnected at one stage." Gray pointed out. Rex agreed with him, but couldn't help thinking that he was missing something out in this.

The guardian of the Plates wasn't the only one feeling off. Happy had a frown, and it wasn't his usual frown either. The carriage turned sharply and Natsu nearly fell out. To be more accurate it looked like he _wanted_ to fall out.

Lucy stopped him before he could do so. "You're gonna fall out of the car!" She cried.

"Good, I can't take it anymore, I'm feeling sick." Natsu groaned and tried to fight Lucy's grip.

"Re-ex. Help me, I'm trying to remember something to do with Lucy." Happy said suddenly.

Rex sweatdropped slightly. "And what exactly is that supposed to be?" He ventured and the blue cat looked up at him.

"That's the problem! I've forgotten." Happy complained and trailed off for a moment. "I'm... feeling... sick... Hmmmm. Fish. Lucy. Natsu. Weird. Gray. Tasty. Fish. Lucy. Weird." Happy said, blurting out random words.

"Who're you calling weird?!" Lucy glared at Happy, then the cat suddenly gasped and pointed out the window. "Was that it?" She said, exasperated. But upon looking outside, Lucy couldn't stop herself from gasping as well.

Happy was pointing to Oshibana Station, where a thick black column of smoke was rising. Erza, Rex and Gray all noticed it as well and the scarlet haired wizard turned sharply to the left. Gray nearly fell off of the Magic Four Wheeler but scrabbled to stay on, letting out a small sigh of relief.

A crowd of about one to two thousand people of all sorts had gathered, wondering what was going on there. A line of conductors was blocking the entrance and one of them was speaking through a megaphone. "**Please do not panic. A squad of Fiore's Royal Army has been sent to deal with the problem. Please remain calm and patient.**" He said, though he was nervous himself, since they hadn't come out yet.

They all got out and Erza swayed slightly, but Rex caught her with. "You sure you didn't push yourself a little?" He asked with concern.

This caught her off guard and she stuttered for an answer. "Well... I uh... Was hoping for you to use your lightning to power the vehicle for a little bit longer, but I can see that in the long run it might not be such a good idea." She explained stiffly.

"Is anybody going to pay attention and help me?" Lucy whined, as she was carrying Natsu over her shoulder, whilst Happy walked alongside her.

"I would but you're doing just fine Lucy." The blue cat replied.

"Nobody asked you yah stupid cat!" The blonde haired wizard snapped. The group pushed their way through the crowd, and some of them moved out the way quickly, and rather hastily, upon glancing at Erza. Eventually the conductor with the megaphone saw them approaching and looked confused.

"Excuse me, but nobody is allowed..." He started but was interrupted by Erza.

"What is going on in the station?" Erza demanded.

"Huh?" He replied, taken by surprise. Erza quickly headbutted him unconscious and moved on to the next and asking the same question. Like before, when she got no answer she headbutted him. Everyone else present was sweating nervously at her.

"Now you know why we're afraid of her." Gray said nervously, once again somehow managing to be naked. Though for this one time only, no one noticed.

"Her methods are counterproductive." Lucy commented, also nervous.

"That's Erza for yah!" Happy chimed. Rex decided to stop this before it got out of hand and put a hand on Erza's shoulder. She stopped and turned to him, eyebrows raised.

"I apologise for my teammate here. We're wizards who are here to solve a little problem. Can you please tell us what's going on?" He asked politely and Erza glared at him for a moment but decided not to comment. The conductor gave an inward sigh of relief and nodded.

"Very well..."

**10 Minutes later...**

According to the conductor, a large group of wizards from a Dark Guild had hijacked the train and drove everyone out of the station. A group of soldiers from the army had gone in whilst the conductors running the station made sure that no one got in, but haven't been seen since. The group turned and got a slight shock in the form of a wiped out squadron of soldiers. Scattered along with them were several spears that were broken. Rex ran over to a fallen soldier and placed a hand on his forehead, checking for any sort of pulse, and after a tense moment felt a faint one.

"Aside from being wiped unconscious, there appear to be no serious injuries. At least that's something." He said and Erza smiled slightly. Rex felt different compared to Natsu and Gray - not only did he look strong but was also more mature than the pair put together.

"The platform should be up ahead. We can't waste time here." Gray pointed out and they began running, with Happy summoning his wings and flying right beside them. They turned and ran onto the platform...

...And were greeted with a large number of Mages, led by one carrying a scythe. The black haired mage from the train along with the three others from the bar. They were all sneering or smirking - were they expecting them? "Well well, if isn't the pesky flies." Erigor clapped slowly.

"So I take it Scythe-Man is Erigor the Shinigami? You don't look impressive." Rex said, staring him down. Erigor was briefly startled but that was replaced with intrigue at the strange looks of Rex.

"I wish I could play with you, however I've got business to attend to." Erigor stated, chuckling and he began to levitate using his Wind Magic. Erza simply glared at him.

"Come on Natsu, wake up! We're already at the station!" Lucy pleaded and began to shake Natsu in an attempt to wake him up. Happy on the other hand shook his head, then turns to look at the Celestial Wizard.

"It's no good Lucy! He went from the Train to the Magic Four Wheeler to you! A triple combo!" He pointed out.

"You're counting me as a moving vehicle?" She cried rhetorically.

Kageyama was looking furious and couldn't hide the anger in his voice. "You fairies truly are pests! Because of the stupid frog and pinky that I was delayed. I ought to..." Apparently he was so angry that words failed him. Rex turned to Greninja, who had a dark look on his face, and then turned back to Kageyama with a sinister smile on his face. _Now you've gone and done it. I personally am not responsible for what happens next._

"Now now, Kageyama. No need to get hot under the collar." Rayule said from behind Kageyama.

Byard and Karacka recognised Erza. "I get it now. So you figured out our plan huh?" The latter said.

Natsu stirred upon hearing Kageyama speak. "That... voice..." He muttered.

"Why would you do this? What are going to do with Lullaby?" Erza demanded. Erigor smiled as he threw back his head.

"What am I going to do with Lullaby? Simple?" He looked at the group and smirked. "I am going to make those who have committed the sin of ignorance suffer. Those who are unaware about peoples who rights have been taken away from us have no idea of how cruel this world can be. That is why we are going to make them suffer for it." Erigor stated as he flew up to the speakers and knocked on them.

"You're going to broadcast Lullaby throughout the whole station?" Erza said, eyes widening. The whole of Eisenwald began to laugh with glee.

"That doesn't even make any sense! Those sort of actions are the reason you have been classified as a Dark Guild!" Lucy pointed out.

Kageyama placed a hand on the floor. "That doesn't matter now! You're too late, flies! The only world you'll feel is a world of pain and death! **Shadow Claw!**" He cried and his shadow extended across the floor before leaping out and lunging at Lucy and Natsu.

"Now I remember you!" Natsu shouted and destroyed the shadow with a flaming fist. He looked confused upon seeing several hundred Eisenwald members.

Erigor looked delighted, but not for the reasons the Team were currently thinking. _Congratulations flies, you have fallen into my trap. I mustn't delay any longer. There are people I have to see, people I have to kill! _He thought triumphantly and crashed through the window and escaped outside.

"Erigor!" Erza shouted and turned to Natsu and Gray. "You two, go after Erigor." The pair of them looked on in shock at the request. "If the two of you combine your strength then Erigor won't stand a chance."

Natsu butted his head against Gray's. "Erigor's gonna use the station to broadcast Lullaby!" He said with a glare.

"We have to get there first or lots of people are gonna die!" The blue haired stripper retorted.

"Are you listening to me?" Erza glared at them and they ran off acting like friends. _So much for Fairy Tail's strongest team._ Lucy thought and faced the Eisenwald members nervously.

"Looks like they're going after Erigor. I'll be sure to stop them from doing so!" Rayule declared and the black trendils on his arms extended to high up the station and whisked him away.

Kageyama snorted. "I'm going to, after all I have a score to settle with the pink haired punk." He declared and using the Shadow Form, melted into the floor and dashed away.

"Aw, man. Look at Kageyama and Rayule. They left us with two beautiful women. It's a shame that they're accompanied by a man and a stupid frog." Byard complained and Greninja jolted upon hearing it again, then faced Byard and was trembling with anger. Lucy was muttering something about being beautiful, but Happy was doing his best to bring Lucy back to reality.

Erza was unimpressed. "Scum! If one insult about Fairy Tail passes your lips, you'll live to regret doing so!" She held out her hand and in flash a sword appeared.

"You think a magic sword is gonna stop us then you're sorely mistaken! We have plenty of magic swords in our guild." One of them scoffed.

"Oh? Is that so? Well then, let her show you what separates Erza's swords from yours." Rex suggested and he was engulfed in an golden orange glow. Erza looked in curiosity, having never seen one of these Take Overs up close. When the light faded, Rex had messy dark red hair that spiked to the right and his eyes were now a fiery orange. He wore a red patterned jacket with four small silver stars on it on top of an orange shirt with the guild mark on in black. Rex wore a pair of brown jeans held up by a black belt and his sneakers were white and red.

"What sort of Take Over magic is that?" One of them cried out in shock.

Rex smirked and was cloaked with fire. "Multitype. **Flame Charge!**" He shouted before running at said Mage and sending him flying with a single punch. It all boosted his attack and speed by one stage, which allowed him to sidestep another attack before countering with Fire Punch. He then turned to a group of Mages rushing him all at once. "Bad move, **Flamethrower!**" He cried and unleashed a stream of fire that knocked half of them out.

Rex jumped to avoid another assault and swung a foot cloaked in fire at him with Blaze Kick. Someone was about to jump him from behind but a dark slashing motion stopped the Dark Wizard in his tracks. "Don't. Call. Me. A frog." Greninja said angrily and used Hydro Pump. He formed a mirror of water which then sent a torrent that took out several others.

Erza also jumped into action, parrying an attack before knocking the sword away and sending the Mage flying. She then punched another member of Eisenwald before swinging round once, blocking several more attacks. A person wearing sunglasses formed a whiteish orb and threw it at Erza, but the weapon suddenly became a pike which caught the orb and sent it back at the user. The pike then became twin swords and Erza dashed through the oncoming crowd, calculating each move and following with deadly accuracy, felling another large group.

"Impossible! How can one woman Requip so quickly?!" One of the Eiswenwald members stammered out in terror. That sentence caught Lucy's attention and snapped her out of her stupor.

"Magical weapons are much like your Celestial Spirits Lucy. They are stored in a separate dimension until they are called on and so forth. To change a weapon is to requip and she does so faster than anyone." Happy explained with a smile.

"That's incredible." Lucy said, amazed.

"Aye, but Erza's truly amazing thing comes next." Happy muttered with an evil smile on his face.

"Erza..?" Karacka said, pondering the name.

"Still too many of you left? This is too cumbersome. I'll have to clean you out all at once. Requip!" Erza said as a red Magic Seal appeared underneath her and her armour began glowing as it disappeared. Rex felt his face go red, which slowly disappeared when the glow faded.

The upper part of this armour now consisted of a small breastplate composed of feather-shaped plates pointing upwards with a large metal flower on the front which extends along her hips. Her biceps are covered by metal straps and Erza's large plated gauntlets sport feather-shaped plates at the edges.

Her waist is circled by large, decorated plates reminiscent of feathers that lie on a long skirt. She also wore a pair of plated boots that are partially hidden under her skirt, each sporting metal ornaments shaped like wings. Erza now wore a neck guard made of feather-like plates and a tiara with prominent metal wings. The armour also sported two pairs of large metal wings which adorn Erza's back, composed of metal feathers which get longer and larger at the edges. It came with two swords that each had a metallic feather as a hilt.

"The standard wizard usually only requips weapons. However Erza can requips special armour, giving her new abilities. This is Erza's Magic: The Knight!" Happy said triumphantly.

Rex blushed lightly. "Wow, that is one cool looking armour." He admitted.

"Thank you, this is my Heaven's Wheel Armour. Allow me to handle them. I'll finish them in one clean sweep." Erza said and stepped forwards, materialising a number of swords.

"N-Now I remember her! She's Erza Scarlet, also known as Titania the Fairy Queen!" Karacka said and ran for it. The rest of his guild were not so lucky as the group of swords began spinning in a glowing circle.

"Dance my blades, **Circle Sword!**" Erza cried and the swords began spinning rapidly before flying towards every remaining member of Eisenwald in a disc formation. The attack shook the ground as it knocked out the majority, those who weren't knocked out were unable to move and groaned from the shock of the impact. Erza switched back to her Heart Kreuz Armour but not before spotting Karacka.

"Quickly, follow him. He could be going to Erigor." Erza commanded of Lucy and Happy.

"W-what?" Lucy stammered, impressed and shocked at what Erza had just done.

"Do you understand me?" She glared at them and the pair of them ran away as if they had to pursue someone who could be going to Erigor. Once they were distant, Erza began panting from the exhaustion. This caught the attention of Rex who had been thinking after his fight with the Eisenwald members and he walked over, still using the Flame Plate but clearly unamused.

"I knew it. You are overdoing it. Sheesh Erza, there is nothing wrong with letting others help you or do things for you. But I do agree with Happy. That was pretty damn cool." Rex admitted with a smile and Erza offered a weaker one in return.

"We have to warn the town. If Erigor broadcasts Lullaby, thousands of people could potentially die." Erza pointed out and began walking at a steady pace towards the outer doors. Rex nodded and began to follow her, but something was niggling him since they met Eisenwald. _How could something this crude be their plan? Unless it wasn't their plan in the first place. Damn it Erigor, what is your actual plan?_ He thought.

**Elsewhere in Oshibana Station...**

As soon as Erza was out of sight, Natsu and Gray glared at each other with intense dislike and couldn't stay away from each other. "Why the hell does Erza have to dish out all the orders, like she's the boss around here?" Natsu growled.

"I don't know but as long as she doesn't invite you I'm fine with that!" Gray retorted.

"I can easily take care of Erigor all by myself!" The duo shouted in unison before throwing a few punches at each other. "Hey, quit copying me!" When they saw they would have to split up they stopped bickering.

"Looks like we're gonna have to split up. Listen flame brain, we're dealing with fools who are dealing with dangerous Magic, so we can't screw up. Show those losers what it means to be a part of Fairy Tail." Gray said and the look they shared was one of mutual understanding. Gray turned to go down the left corridor before stopping and muttering, "Don't die, okay?"

"Huh?" Natsu said, puzzled and turned to Gray.

"Nothing, ya big pink loser, now go!" Gray said irritably before leaving him and running down the hallway. He turned left again before stopping and thinking. _Erigor was planning to use Lullaby, so that means he has to broadcast it throughout the station, right? That means he'll have to use the broadcasting room!_ Gray realised and turned round, effectively doubling back on himself until he reached said room. When Gray entered, all he could see was the equipment for the public announcement and not a sign of Erigor.

"That's funny, you'd have thought since he wanted to broadcast Lullaby he would come here." Gray said aloud, frowning. From behind him, Rayule slowly lowered himself until he was eye level and with his free hand sent his Urumi towards Gray.

The raven haired Mage senses it and jumped forwards in time, and the black trendils crashed into the broadcasting equipment, effectively destroying them. "You... your instincts are too good for you to live." Rayule boldly declared with a snickered.

Gray smirked in return. "Huh, so there are ulterior motives after all." He said before jumping again to avoid getting hit by the Urumi, which resulted in more equipment being destroyed. This was beginning to confuse Gray and he placed a hand down on the floor and chanted, "**Ice Make: Block!**" An ice blue Seal appeared and a rectangular prism rose up to block the black trendils.

"You use Ice Magic huh?" Rayule said and now it was Gray's turn to attack.

"**Ice Make: Lance!"** He said and several lances made out of ice soared towards Rayule who used Urumi to deflect the projectiles. Gray when surprised when Rayule began to chuckle all of a sudden. "What's so funny?" He demanded.

"Stupid flies, now would be about the time that Erigor-sama puts up his Wind Wall. Nobody can now get out, meaning you're trapped like flies." Rayule laughed and Gray's eyes widened, but he still didn't know what it meant. "From the start, Erigor-sama always wondered what would happen if a few pesky flies decided to interfere, and then he came across the perfectly solution: Fool those flies into thinking that this was our target instead of Clover Town."

"Clover Town? What the hell d'you want with Clover Town?" Gray demanded, startled by this turn of events.

"Flex your brain for once and try to think about who is in Clover as we speak, and who won't be very soon." Rayule said. It took Gray a moment to realise what he meant and he dropped his arms in shock. Rayule took advantage of this and his Urumi snaked forward and tore Gray's white coat and trousers in several places.

"You don't mean... In Clover... That place where it has... The ones you're really after are the Guild Masters at their meeting?!" Gray blurted out, shock turning to anger.

Rayule let out an insane cackle. "Finally you get it! We were casted out and discriminated against! Well guess what? Now we get to don't the judges robe as we can bring justice upon those who have done us injustice! And the best part is, Erigor will get away with it!" He shouted triumphantly but was caught off guard by Gray going up and encasing his face in a block of ice.

"Listen very closely to this. We will stop you, and you will learn of a Guild more terrifying than any Dark Guild out there." Gray vowed and began running back to Erza and Rex.

**Back with Erza and Rex**

Erza was walking at a slightly slower pace than usual due to the amount of Magic she has used powering the Magic Four Wheeler and having to requip her armour once. She noticed that Rex, who had returned to normal had a frown on his face as he bit his thumb in a thoughtful manner. "Is something wrong?" She asked with a slight glare.

Rex shuddered and said, "Since we ran into Eisenwald, something has been bothering me. What do Eisenwald gain from killing a couple of thousand innocent bystanders? That just doesn't feel right, and I think their real target is someone else."

Erza's eyes widened at the statement. "Regardless, we must have the crowd stay away, Erigor could still kill them." She said, but there was a nagging thought in her mind now. If Rex was right and there real target was someone else, then they would have to get everyone back here and quickly in order to pursue Erigor. Her thoughts were interrupted as they found themselves outside, where the crowd appeared to look larger than before and a strong wind was blowing to the right. As a result of the wind, someone's wig and toupee blew off - much to the shock of those nearby.

"Huh? It's you wizards again." The station master said, voice somewhat sore from reassuring the crowd that they were safe and Erza snatched the loud megaphone from him.

"**Listen very carefully!**" She said sharply, getting the attention of the crowd. "**The Dark Guild in this station has a magical item that can kill everyone in the vicinity. If you value your lives, please run away!**"

It took several moments for the crowd to take in the implications of what she said. Then with looks ranging from shock to downright terror they screamed and ran away in a panicked frenzy in any direction except towards the station.

"Are you trying to start a panic?" The station master asked in disbelief.

"It's better than seeing everyone die." Erza replied as the wind got stronger.

"Greninja, find Lucy and Happy. Tell them to come to the main since the situation has changed. We'll find Natsu and Gray." Rex instructed and Greninja nodded, though he looked uneasy and ran into the station. Rex felt something and turned sharply. Right before his eyes a giant wall of wind suddenly surrounded the station, and anything near got blown away. The sound of it was slightly deafening as well.

"Where did this giant wall of wind come from?" Erza asked.

Erigor floated into view, confident but startled to see the two of them outside. "I never expected to see a couple of flies hanging outside my Wind Wall. I never expected to see Titania Erza this close, so it must be a privilege." He said loftily than moved toward their direct line of sight. "I wish I could have a bout with you, but I've got places to go, people to kill."

Rex was the only one who understood what he meant and gasped in shock. But before either of them could do anything Erigor made several motions with his left hand and sent Rex crashing into Erza then the two of them through the Wind Wall. Rex was the first to recover and he tried to punch through the wall in anger. "Damn you Erigor!" He cursed and yelled in pain as he felt the wind attempting to tear his arm apart. Rex pulled it out and tentatively place his left hand on his right arm.

"Is something that matter?" Erza said, and her fears about Eisenwald's real target began to rise.

"Haven't you realised it yet? Erigor's real target are the Guild Masters in Clover Town!" Rex said and Erza's eyes widened in shock. Then she took a fearsome glare and Rex subconsciously took a few steps backwards.

"If that's true... Then we have to find the others and catch up with him." Erza said quickly and the two of them ran quickly back into the station towards the area where they fought Eisenwald.

**With Natsu**

"ERIGOOOOOOR!" Natsu shouted as he kicked down a part of the wall with a flaming foot. It had been the thirteenth room that the dragon slayer had checked without bothering to actually open the door. "Next!" He said casually and destroyed the wall to look into the next room.

Overhead, Kageyama watched him in disbelief. _What is he thinking?_ the black haired wondered, bewildered by the fact that Natsu completely overlooked the wanton destruction he had caused. _He doesn't give a second thought that he is destroying what is effectively public property. I could just sit there and continue to see him acting stupid, however... _Kageyama gave a sinister smile and dropped out of the ceiling, kicking Natsu in the back. "That wouldn't satisfy me at all!" He shouted, finishing his thought.

Natsu crashed forwards into a bunch of neatly stacked barrels knocking them over. After his minor headache stopped hurting he growled fiercely and turned to face Kageyama. "It's you from before!" The dragon slayer said. "Tell me where Erigor is!"

"Oh I will, that is... If you can beat me!" Kageyama smirked, knowing that Erigor would be nowhere in the station.

"I get to kill two birds with one stone, huh? I'm all fired up now!" Natsu said with a grin. Kageyama's shadow extended and three fists shot out suddenly, but Natsu was lucky enough and dodged it. This happened again for several times until Natsu got hit to which Kageyama smirked.

"Time to put you flies into your place, **Shadow Orochi!**" Kageyama chanted and his shadow created eight snakes that all made hissing noises. "Even if you run, they'll chase you to the ends of the earth. Now get him!" The snakes darted forwards, but Natsu held a flaming fist.

"Heh, I don't intend to run at all!" Natsu declared and tore through a snake with his fist, then jumped to the right as another snake head plowed through the wall and turned back quickly. Natsu then incinerated 3 other heads in one swing and both his arms were engulfed in fire. "Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!" He cried as a Seal formed and he took out the remaining snakes.

_Impossible! He took out all the Orochi heads in one go, and he's a Fairy Tail Wizard. No... he isn't a wizard, he's a monster! _Kageyama thought, frozen in fear. Natsu leapt forward and punched him back then followed it up with a Fire Dragon's Iron Fist. There was a very loud BOOM! as the station rumbled from the impact of the spell.

**Back with Erza and Rex**

Now that they knew of Eisenwald's real target, Erza and Rex had to find out a way to get past the Wind Wall and the easiest way in theory was to interrogate the members of Eisenwald for a way. However, that was easier than said than done as the Eisenwald members were proving to be most uncooperative.

"Ack! I told you, there isn't a way to get past Erigor-sama's Wind Wall! The only way is to force your way out!" Byard protested, but Rex wasn't having any of it.

"Oh yeah, well we tried that and look what happened!" Rex argued, holding out his injured arm. "Whatever, put him down Erza, we're never going to get an answer." Erza complied and Byard fell to the floor roughly. Their thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone approaching, and to their relief it was Gray who looked as if he needed to say something. "Erza! I've found out that their real target is the Guild Masters at the end of the line in Clover Town!"

"Yeah, we've pretty much figured that part out. Now we have to find a way to get past that Wind Wall. Damnit, if I were outside I could easily diffuse it using the Sky Plate." Rex cursed and began thinking again. An idea came to him after Gray dropped down from the floor above. "Hang on, wasn't there another member they called 'Kageyama'? Wasn't he the one who broke the seal on Lullaby?"

"If that is true than he can use Dispelling Magic, and he must be deeper into the station!" Gray said and the three of them began running and after about a minute there was a faint BOOM! and the station shook slightly.

"I'd bet all my Plates that it was Natsu who did that." Rex said as they hurriedly ran towards the source of the noise.

Byard bit his lip. They were going to go for Kageyama for sure and he had to stop that from happening. "Hey Karacka, come out from your hiding place." He demanded and Karacka did so.

"Sorry about that, I'm not much of a fighter." Karacka admitted, scratching his head.

"You heard them right? This means that you're going to have to get to him first." Byard replied and he began to smile.

"But I'm no good at defending." Karacka pointed out.

"Heh, you've got a much simpler job, an easier one." Byard smirked and pointed to a dagger.

**With Lucy and Happy**

Lucy and Happy were walking down a hallway that was lined with hollow armour, taller than the two of them combined. However that did little to hide the fact that they had lost the fat man Erza had told them to find. "Great, we've lost him. Maybe we should just go back to Erza and tell her we couldn't find him."

The suggestion had the opposite effect it intended to on Happy, as the blue cat gasped and began shaking in horror. "I can't believe the things I'm hearing today! I know you're a bit wild Lucy, but disobeying Erza is one step too far. I can't even begin to imagine what things she could do to you." Happy panicked and continued walking forwards.

The prospect of Erza doing 'things' to her was more than enough to convince Lucy to go against her idea. "Okay, okay! We won't go back!" Lucy said, but her attention was turned to Greninja who had come to them.

"Listen, we need to go back and meet with Rex and the others, things have change and we're going to need all hands on deck." He said and the two of them suddenly forgot their fear of the Fairy Queen. It was replaced by curiosity and soon the two of them were running back to the main entrance. On their way they heard a substantial BOOM! and felt the station shake.

"Is that... Natsu?" Greninja asked.

"Aye, sir! No one else could make that sort of noise!" Happy chirped and they began going towards the source of the noise.

**With Natsu**

Natsu smirked triumphantly as a burnt Kageyama lay against the wall, shocked by the former's unusual powers and the fact that he was just so strong. "Heh heh, I won pal. Now you have to tell me where Erigor is." He said.

Kageyama began chuckling, much to his confusion. "What and idiotic fly. He isn't in this station anymore. Erigor-sama is long gone and so will his targets be." He declared ominously. Natsu was puzzled by the response and was interrupted by Erza and company approaching.

"Nice job, flame brain!" Gray said, whilst Erza ignored him completely, she was focused on the injured Kageyama. She picked him up and summoned a sword which he held against his throat.

"Listen to this very carefully. You are going to come with us and dispel the wind wall. Any resistance or insult will not be tolerated and I'll happily attack you if I think you're attempting to hinder us in anyway, understand?" Erza said with a fierce glare. Natsu gulped and took a step back, wondering if Erza was taking things too far after the way he beat up the Dark Wizard.

"Guh... I under-gaaack!" Kageyama began but instead began coughing up blood. Erza looked stunned, she hadn't done anything to Kageyama besides warn him about the consequences of any resistance. When he dropped they all saw Karacka, phasing through the wall with a dagger in his back. He was trembling in fear, since his mission was to kill Kageyama. Lucy, Greninja and Happy had caught up with them and didn't say a word, Natsu was simply stunned.

"Wasn't... he... one of..." Natsu suddenly became really angry and Karacka hastily drew back into the wall with his Earth Magic. That wasn't quick enough as Natsu crashed through with a flaming fist, defeating him in a single blow. "HE WAS ONE OF YOUR GUILD MEMBERS, AND YOU WERE TRYING TO KILL HIM!" He roared.

Rex jumped forward and stopped Natsu from doing anymore damage. "That's enough Natsu, we don't want to lose track of what we're doing here!" He said firmly and the pink haired wizard merely growled at Karacka.

"Kage!" Erza shouted and began shaking him once she removed the dagger. "You have to stay alive so we can use your Magic to dispel the Wind Wall!"

"That's impossible in his current condition Erza! He'll barely be able to use it at this rate!" Gray protested.

"He'll have to!" Erza said and she hefted Kageyama over her shoulder. The group then quickly made their way outside, where the Wind Wall continued to blow strongly. The only ones who weren't seeing this for the first time were Erza, Gray and Rex.

"I wouldn't recommend trying to break through, nothing can." Rex said however Natsu faced the wall of wind with a determined expression on his face and he leaped at it, only to be sent crashing back into the wall. Natsu growled and jumped at it again with a flaming fist, only to get the same results again as last time and be sent, once again back towards the wall. "See?"

"Don't be ridiculous, there is nothing I can't do!" Natsu said hotly and charged for a third time. This time however, he managed to hold for a few seconds before Lucy pulled him away.

"Stop it before you seriously injure yourself Natsu!" She pleaded, holding on as tight as she could. Natsu didn't make any attempt to resist and he stared at Lucy for a while. Then he grinned as an idea came to him. Suddenly, he turned round and clasped her arms.

"That's it Lucy! Your Celestial Spirits! We can go through their world!" Natsu said.

Lucy shook her head. "That's a no-no Natsu. First, that's a bad breach of contract. Second, a human cannot go through the Celestial World unharmed and finally you were only lucky because it was Everlue's key back then." She explained, and Rex realised that she meant their adventure at Everlue Mansion.

Those words suddenly meant something to certain blue feline and Happy jumped up in shock, similar to his fear of Erza. "AAAAAAH!" He shouted loudly and everyone turned to face him. "Lucy! I just remembered what I had forgotten!" Happy rustled through his bag, moving a few fish to the side. Then he pulled out a small golden key, more importantly it had the Zodiac sign for Virgo on it.

"Isn't the key for Birdo?" Natsu asked and both Gray and Rex groaned at how horribly he messed up the name.

Lucy jumped and was at Happy's side in an instant, clearly unamused. "You cat burglar!" She accused.

"But Virgo wanted me to give it to you. When Duke Everlue was imprisoned her contract with him was broken, but she wanted me to give this to you." Happy explained, carrying on when he saw Lucy's sceptical look. "She can use her Earth Magic though and can dig underneath the wind wall."

"Really, now hurry up and hand it over!" Lucy demanded and relaxed. Erza and Gray were looking on with curiosity, having never seen a Celestial Wizard summon a Spirit - and one of the Zodiac at that. "**Open, Gate of the Maiden: Virgo!**" She chanted and a ringing bell sounded.

Lucy got a huge surprise when she saw a young looking woman with pink hair and blue eyes in a maid outfit. She was wearing a pair of chains on her forearms. "You called me Mistress?" Virgo inquired, but Lucy was still shocked about her appearance.

"How come you don't look like your gorilla form, you looked much cooler in that form?" Natsu asked.

"My apologies, but I assume the form of that which suits my current Master or Mistress wishes. If you like, I can change into my previous form now if you want to." Virgo suggested.

"He does not speak for me!" Lucy interjected before Natsu was about to answer. "Listen, we want to get past this Wind Wall, can we make the contract later?" She asked.

Virgo nodded. "Yes Mistress."

"Don't call me Mistress! It sounds too formal." Lucy frowned.

Virgo looked down and saw her whip. "As you wish, Dominatrix.

"Not that either!"

"...Very well Princess." Virgo said and Lucy clapped her hands.

"Perfect." She said with a smile.

"What's so perfect about that? We're wasting time here, and that wind wall isn't gonna go down anytime soon." Gray pointed out.

"And so, I shall begin!" Virgo declared before jumping and digging through the ground and out the other side. Erza smiled and banged Lucy's head against her breast plate. Natsu picked up Kageyama before he was about to go in the hole.

"You're taking him with us?" Gray asked, not getting the point.

"Of course. Leaving him here to die would leave a bitter taste in my mouth." Natsu said and both Erza and Rex silently agreed with him on that prospect. One by one they each jumped into the hole and climbed through to the other side. The wind felt stronger as they each got out and Lucy did her best to keep her skirt down which was blowing in the wind.

"Please Princess, your skirt is blowing around, revealing your undergarments." Virgo pointed out, unintentionally realising that her skirt was also revealing her legs in front of Gray, who had a fuming face. When everyone was out, Greninja did a quick head count.

"Um, guys? Did Natsu, Happy and Rex go off to fight Erigor?" Greninja asked, silently hoping that the two of them would be okay. They each had a surprised look in turn, with the exception of Virgo who just loomed around to confirm what he said.

**Clover Canyon, approximately 5 minutes earlier**

Erigor stood atop a tall rocky pillar looking down at the train track as that got smaller in the distance, eventually they would come to the town at the end of the line and his targets would be there, and unaware of the fact that a Shinigami was coming to kill them. Erigor opened and closed his hands several times, and felt that none of his magic was gone. _I've recovered nearly all of my Magic from setting up the Wind Wall. Perfect. It should let me reach Clover Town without any problems. Old fools, a Shinigami is coming and he'll kill with out even being seen. _Erigor levitated and began flying along the line which simply kept going straight.

He was flying for several minutes and then he saw something glint in the back of his eye. Then one glint became two glints and Erigor slowed down and turned his head slightly. It turned out to be a big mistake. Erigor couldn't hide his shock as he heard a familiar voice.

"This is... Happy's... **Max Speed!**" Natsu shouted as the aforementioned cat slammed into him with such force he fell several metres and Rex with the Sky Plate followed it up with Aerial Ace, having used Tailwind to increase his speed.

"No! How could they find a way past the barrier! And I'm so close too!" Erigor said aloud.

"You're gonna regret the day you tried to murder the guild Masters!" Rex declared and the two of them got ready.

**And this is the new chapter guys! It's a Christmas miracle! Please remember to try and review once you've finished reading each chapter. I don't have 22 people who had favourited and/or followed it for nothing right?**

**Next time on Guardian Fairy - Fire and Wind**

**Natsu and Rex both fight the ace of Eisenwald, but can they overpower him and retrieve Lullaby on time? Can Erza and the other members of Team Natsu catch up in time? Or will the two of them die trying? And what secret does Lullaby hold?**

* * *

**Now for some issues brought up by one or two people.**

**Why use Greninja -** On land or when swimming, Greninja is easily the fastest pokemon on Rex's team. In the air though... Let's just say *SPOILERS!* ahem, please keep reading to find out more.

**Two Plates at Once **\- For now, Rex can only use one Plate at a time. There are two reasons for this. One, I still have to figure out how to actually pull it off. Two, he can use moves from other types, they just won't gain the STAB (that's Same Type Attack Bonus in case you were wondering) boost.


	3. Fire and Wind

**This is probably going to be a shorter chapter, but hopefully not by much as this will finish off the Lullaby arc. Then the following chapter will be the start of the Galuna Arc but not before something important happens.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or Pokemon. They belong to Hiro Mashima and Satoshi Tajiri (and Nintendo) respectively. I only own my character and the idea.**

**Previously on Guardian Fairy -**

**Rex: **Uh oh! This isn't good! As it turned out Father, things weren't what they seem and Eisenwald were merely a distraction whilst Erigor would go on ahead and kill the Guildmasters with Lullaby. They had initially trapped us with a wall of wind, but Lucy came to the rescue using Virgo. Apparently the Celestial Spirit wanted to form a contract after all. Pretty neat huh? Anyway, as soon as we got out me, Natsu and Happy flew towards Erigor really quickly and now we'll take him down!

* * *

**Chapter 3 - Fire and Wind**

"You're gonna regret the day you tried to murder the guild Masters!" Rex declared and the two of them got ready. Happy was lying behind them on the floor, having used up all his Aera Magic to catch up with Erigor. Rex then used Air Slash, but Erigor used his Scythe to deflect them. This however distracted him from Natsu's attack.

"**Fire Dragon's Claw!**" He shouted as a foot was engulfed in fire. Natsu then delivered a powerful kick with a movement not unlike Blaze Kick into Erigor's stomach, sending the white haired man reeling backwards. Erigor recovered and made several motions with his left hand and used his Wind Blade spell. Natsu was suddenly flown backwards off the bridge.

"So long fly!" Erigor said, smirking.

"Natsu!" Rex cried, and Natsu growled and fired a different flame from his hand. It allowed him to loop round and end up back on the bridge again.

"Huh, I always wanted to change the quality of the flame." Natsu commented and both Rex and Erigor were surprised at this.

Rex and Natsu then charged at Erigor. The former attacked using Brick Break, whilst the latter threw a flame enhanced fist. Erigor blocked both by using his scythe. Both Rex and Natsu threw several more punches but Erigor either dodged them or blocked them with his scythe again. Spotting an opening, he swung and Natsu jumped backwards.

Rex thought fast and bent his body backwards with the scythe narrowly missing him and he jumped forwards using Aerial Ace. Erigor was caught off guard and Rex soared high into the air. Once he though they were high enough he followed it up with Seismic Toss and threw Erigor towards the ground. Unfortunately, since Erigor used Wind Magic he stopped himself from hitting the ground which would've dealt some serious damage.

"Get back down here!" Natsu fumed, as he was the only one unable to fly. "Can't you carry me or something?"

"Didn't you say that only Happy could carry you?" Rex argued and Natsu gulped.

"Your Magic is certainly interesting, especially for a Take Over Wizard. Killing you will be such a pleasure." Erigor said.

"Like I said to your Guild earlier - it's Multitype dammit!" Rex said and with his left hand fired a Thunderbolt.

In response Erigor twirled his scythe in front of him and a purple Seal appeared. "**Piercing Wind Strike!**" He chanted and a thin but strong tornado of wind formed and intercepted the Thunderbolt. The two moves clashed in a rather spectacular display. Erigor then quickly gained altitude and once he was above Rex he crossed his hands in an X formation.

"**Storm Bringer!**" He declared and a large tornado formed, which was too wide for Rex to neither dodge nor counter and he was hurled back towards the bridge at Natsu and landed on top of the dragon slayer who was also surprised by the strength of the spell.

"And now those flies have been swatted." Erigor said, but was surprised to see them still standing. _Interesting, not only is their Magic unique, but they also have surprising endurance. Looks like I'll have to take this seriously. _Erigor thought before saying confidently. "How about we start getting serious?"

"Fine by me. **Flamethrower!**" Rex shouted and unleashed a stream of fire.

"**Fire Dragon's Roar!**" Natsu responded and he too unleashed a stream of fire. The two fired based attacks then fused into one giant Flamethrower.

Erigor used Piercing Wind Strike again. However this time the combined attack steadily overpowered his and Erigor called of the attack and dodged to his left else he might have been well done. "I'll finish this using **Emera Baram! **This spell will cut up anything that gets in its way!"

"Did he say Emera Baram? That spell could kill both of them if they are not careful!" Happy said, recognising the spell.

Erigor flew down to eye level and with a grin and held out his hand in an X formation with his index and middle finger outstretched. The wind around it began intensifying rapidly and a Seal formed. "Emera Baram!" He declared and a fired a giant concentrated blast of wind blades that swamped the tracks. Rex and Natsu braced themselves by making their bodies as small as possible and they were lost within the spell. Erigor smirked once the spell was finished and Happy was almost in tears.

"Natsu..." He began but to his (and Erigor's shock), both Natsu and Rex emerged from the rubble of the spell, both had determined expressions on their faces despite the injuries they had suffered.

"Let I said, you'll regret the day you tried to kill the Guild Masters." Rex said coolly and Erigor ground his teeth in anger.

* * *

**With Erza and co.**

When they got back to their Four Wheeler it had been destroyed, presumably by Eisenwald and Erza borrowed a different Magic Four Wheeler which was larger than the other one and once again she was powering it. Lucy, Greninja and Grey were all sitting in the back along with a bandaged Kageyama. Most of his waist area was covered in bandages and he had a few on his face.

"I don't get it. Why are you taking me with you?" Kageyama asked, clearly confused.

"Well since Erza announced that you had a magical item that could kill everyone, there were no longer any doctors in Oshibana Town, so the nearest town is Clover." Lucy explained.

"That's it? Gimme a break I know what you're doing. You're going to use me as a bargaining chip aren't you? It won't work, Erigor won't hesitate to kill anyone who gets in his way. Your matchstick and his friend are both as good as dead." Kageyama said in a tone that suggested he should be right.

"Get real. It takes a lot more to keep Natsu down. And Rex beat Natsu yesterday as well. Besides, it's actually quite depressing. Killing people isn't the be all and end all. If you want, I can kill you." Gray offered.

"Gray!" Greninja burst out in shock, but that got Kageyama to reflect back on how Erigor would regularly scoff at the legal guilds and proclaim that the only way for there to be justice would be to murder the Build Master, who he and Eisenwald, deemed responsible for their injustice. His thoughts were interrupted when the carriage jolted suddenly as they went over a bump and Lucy's bum made contact with his face, much to the latter's annoyance.

"What the heck have you been eating? You're overweight." Kageyama said and Lucy turned on him.

"That's sexual harassment! Kill him Gray!" Lucy shouted, but Gray groaned at how Lucy had just made his statement less cool.

Erza was ignoring all of that and she panted heavily for the moment. It appeared that requipping into her Heaven's Wheel Armour took more out of her than she thought. But she remained determined to keep going and she silently hoped that Natsu and Rex would succeed in defeating Erigor. The alternative was too horrific to even think about the possibility of it happening.

* * *

**Back with Natsu and Rex**

"Okay Natsu. On my signal, you rush him." Rex said and Natsu nodded. Erigor smiled, confident he could handle whatever they threw at him. Rex rushed forwards and flew low directly at Erigor, who made himself float above Rex.

"Ha ha ha ha! What was that supposed to prove, a fly like you could outsmart me?" Erigor laughed. While he was doing so Rex gained height quickly with the help of Tailwind and was cloaked in fiery energy. He turned sharply and began descending quickly, with the fiery energy converted to blue sparks.

"I just did by using **Brave Bird!**" Rex retorted and Erigor didn't see it until he was too late. His eyes widened but couldn't do anything to stop the force of the attack plowing him towards the ground. "Now Natsu!" Rex shouted.

The pink haired Mage wasted no time and ran forwards with Fire Dragon's Iron Fist and the two made for a seriously powerful combination. Erigor began stumbling back in shock from it and Rex felt red sparks flash over his body as the recoil hit him. "Aa-aah!" He grunted.

"What the heck is that? Don't tell me you're stopping now." Natsu said somewhat bluntly.

"No I'm fine, it's just recoil damage. I took a third of the damage I inflicted on Erigor. Several other attacks have a similar effect. Some inflict more recoil, some less." Rex explained but Natsu couldn't understand what he meant by that.

"Now I'll really get serious with my **Storm Mail!**" Erigor declared. When nothing happened for a moment Rex switched to the Zap Plate and lunged with Thunderpunch and Natsu used Fire Dragons Iron Fist. Neither of them spotted a whirlwind coming until too late and a second later both were sent flying backwards as Erigor was cloaked in a strange wind that protected him. "It's impossible to win, fire can never beat wind!" He declared.

"I don't think so! **Volt Tackle!**" Rex declared as he became cloaked in electricity. He then dashed at Erigor and sent a powerful punch in his Storm Mail, but couldn't break through it. Red sparks flashed again, as he still took recoil damage from the attack.

Natsu put both his hands together and his cheeks swelled up. "**Fire Dragons Roar!**" He shouted and shot a stream of flame. Unfortunately as with Rex's previous attack it did absolutely nothing to him. "Damn! Why can't I beat him?" Natsu shouted and punched.

"I couple of flies like you really are stupid! You can't break through!" Erigor declared and began laughing.

"Tch! Never say never!" Rex retorted, but knew that unless they could break through then they were effectively punching a solid steel wall.

Erigor then formed a Magic Seal and a volley of faster projectiles than his Wind Blades began firing at the pair of them. Rex then switched to the Sky Plate and used Air Cutter in response, shielding both of them from the attack. Afterwards he jumped forwards and attacked from above with Aerial Ace. It didn't harm Erigor per se, but it did lower his altitude to just above the bridge the three of them were on.

Natsu by now was beginning to get really mad. "Damnit, why can't I hurt him? It doesn't... make... SENSE!" He roared and was cloaked in a large fireball. Everyone else stopped to look at this development.

_Interesting, it would appear that his emotions are directly feeding the flames themselves. This feels familiar, I've heard of this somewhere before._ Erigor thought and for once he wasn't paying attention to what was happening, as his Storm Mail began to flow towards Natsu. _Wait a moment, that was some sort of ancient Magic, right? How does a kid like him learn ancient Magic? _

Happy was the first to realise what was happening. "I get it! Natsu is stripping away the wind using his fire! Fire needs oxygen and Natsu is using the wind surrounding Erigor!" He managed to get up.

"WHY. CAN'T. I. HIT. HIM?" Natsu tells as he began tearing at the railway beside him and Rex took a step back as the flames intensified. It was then that Erigor caught on and he began to panic.

"Natsu!" Happy cried and everyone turned to face the blue cat, wondering what he would say. "Give up."

"WHAT?" Natsu shouted and Rex was surprised at the fact that Happy would do such a thing, but then he understood what he was doing.

"You can't win, let Gray do it for you." Happy said with a smirk on his face.

Rex also adopted a similar expression. "Aye. How about we wait for Erza too? She's far stronger than you'll ever be." He stated, as if it were a fact.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Natsu roared and the flames flared even larger. By now the entirety of Erigor's Storm Mail had been stripped away and Natsu charged forwards and headbutted Erigor. At the same time, Rex unleashed a powerful Fire Blast. "**Fire Dragons Sword Horn!**" Erigor then felt the force of the fire as he soared upwards and was completely incinerated and was defeated. He fell onto the tracks with a solid thump and Happy and Rex walked over.

"That was awesome Natsu." Rex said with a smile.

"Aye sir!" Happy agreed, but Natsu narrowed his eyes and played with Erigor's head.

"About what you said earlier..." He began.

"A cat's memory isn't the best in the world." Happy explained.

"Neither is mine for that matter." Rex added and Natsu looked from one to the other.

"Did one of you say something about Erza or Gray and whatnot?" Natsu asked, having forgotten how both Rex and Happy insulted him.

"His memory is worse than a cat's!" Happy said, secretly relieved that Natsu couldn't remember. "It doesn't matter Natsu, cuz you and Rex won in the end." He pointed out. Natsu grinned in agreement.

Rex looked up and saw a familiar sight ride into the view. "Well, well. Looks like the cavalry has arrived. Although it appears that they arrived late." He noted as everyone bar Kageyama got out of the vehicle. He was stunned at the fact that Erigor had been defeated.

"Excellent work you two!" Erza said with what was supposed to be a smile on her face as she banged Rex's head against the breastplate of her Heart Kreuz Armour.

"That hurt!" Rex complained and sat down, exhausted from the exertion. The sleeves of his jacket and to a certain extent the shirt had shred marks on them. His trousers fared worse as they now looked more like shorts. Natsu looked even worse as his scarf, his shorts and most of his top had been shredded off.

"Why are walking around naked Natsu?" Gray asked and they butted their heads against each other.

"Because unlike you yah icy freak I have a reason!" Natsu retorted and the two of them began bickering again.

They embraced this sense of satisfaction until the Magic Mobile started up again. "You foolish flies, letting your guard down like that! Now Lullaby is mine!" Kageyama said with a grin on his face and everyone jumped out of the way.

"Oh no!" Lucy and Happy shrieked.

"You bastard!" Natsu shouted and they rushed off after Kageyama.

* * *

**Clover Town, Later**

Kageyama saw the Guild Masters Hall, smiling in satisfaction. It was all over once he played the tune, and there really was no need to rush, as long as he wasn't spotted of course. The black haired Mage sat down on a bench and took a breather which was interrupted by a faint rustle to his left. He sharply turned his head and felt someone tap his right shoulder. Kageyama turned, only for his right cheeked to be poked by the man.

"Hya hahaha!" It was a drunk Master Makarov, who was also feeling a bit whimsical. "Hmm, you're in good shape my lad. You should see a doctor and get some rest." Makarov advised. Kageyama was shocked, and wondered if this was a Guild Master.

Makarov then panicked as he remembered something. "Oh no! I gotta get back before that group does anymore damage. One of them on their own is destructive enough - but the four of them together, it's almost unthinkable! You really should see a doctor."

Natsu and the others had managed to catch up and saw Makarov with Kageyama, who was also holding the means to kill him. They were about to stop him when Bob and the other Guild Masters stopped them. "Oh look! It's nice to see Makarov's boys all grown up!" Bob commented and Natsu and Gray took several steps backwards.

"Who is that Erza?" Rex asked.

"That's Bob. He's the Guildmaster of Blue Pegasus and a rather eccentric man." Erza explained, though she didn't understand why they couldn't burst in and stop him.

"Oooh! Well who is this fine young fellow here?" Bob asked of Rex with a look that screamed paedophile to Rex and he backed away nervously.

"Hi, I'm Rex Vermend and why are you stopping us?" He asked quickly.

"Just watch." Goldmine advised with a smile. "This is the good part."

They fell silent and watched the two of them. "Um, I'd like to play a song for you." Kageyama said and Makarov considered it.

"Very well, but one song please! I'm in a bit of a rush right now." Makarov answered and Kageyama felt triumphant. One song was all the guy needed to hear and he would be put in an eternal slumber. Kageyama raised the flute to his lips and then paused. Like earlier, Kageyama began to reflect on what he was doing and began questioning the action of killing him.

"Well? Are you going to play or aren't you?" Makarov asked. Kageyama put the flute to his lips then drew it away again. _Why am I doing this? It's a simple task. Play the flute and kill him._ Kageyama thought, growing more and more frustrated as he did so.

Makarov lowered his head. "Weak people will always be weak. We humans start out weak and we have to learn how to be stronger. It's why we learn Magic and form Guilds. It guides us towards friendships and steers us through hardships at the same time. We may be weak but we must constantly strive to be strong. If you do so..." And he smiled. "Then you'll never need to use that flute again, am I correct?" Makarov asked.

Kageyama dropped Lullaby in shock. _Unbelievable! He saw through me this whole time?_ He thought then dropped to his knees in defeat and began crying tears of joy.

The group along with the Guild Masters came out from the bushes and rushed towards him. "That was totally awesome Gramps!" Natsu shouted.

"Nooo! What are you guys doing here?" Makarov said and felt his heart rate skyrocket. Erza banged him against her breastplate and Rex winced, knowing how hard it hurt from experience.

"Well, he planned to kill you using a magical flute that would kill anyone who heard it's music except the caster. Speaking of which, where is the flute?" Rex asked. The area fell silent as a clattering sound was made from the ground.

Purple smoke fumed from Lullaby and a deep voice resonated throughout the area. "_**Heh heh heh. You wizards are always indecisive. Play it, don't play it, play it again. I've had enough of this nonsense!**_" Lullaby said and everyone took three big steps back. A whooshing noise could be heard then Lullaby glowed and began growing until it had formed a gigantic demon like beast with three eyes, a pair of arms and legs and several cut outs across its body. "_**Hmm, so many souls, which should I consume first. I've got it!**_" Lullaby smiled wickedly. "_**I'll feast upon all of you at once!**_"

"Sorry, but that ain't happening!" Rex said and equipped the Flame Plate. Many of the Guildmasters were surprised at seeing this unusual Take Over.

"What sort of Take Over is that?" One of them asked and an irritated Rex turned to face him.

"Multitype. Don't call it Take Over." He said and turned back to face the demon

"**Requip!**" Erza cried and she began glowing gold and changed into another armour. This armour was primarily black in colour and it had a pair of wing that resembled a dragon or possibly a bats. The neck guard was decorated with several gems and Erza's hair was now tied back in a ponytail. The armour was also quite revealing and her waistguard consisted of several long plates that had silver crosses embedded on each one of them. Erza summoned a single sword with several rubies in it.

"That's the Black Wing Armour! It not only allows her to fly but also increases her attack power!" A Guild Master said, recognising it from an article in the newspaper. Lullaby unleashed a wave of orange and black orbs, and Erza slashed through several of them and attacked one of Lullaby's legs.

Rex held both arms that were glowing red hot. "**Heat Wave!**" He cried and fired a large wave of continuous fire that absorbed most of the orbs, but some were still coming. "Gray!"

"Yeah, **Ice-Make Shield!**" Gray cried and put his hand out in front of him. Within seconds a 12 pointed shield had formed and easily took the remaining orbs.

"Incredible, how can an Ice-Make wizard cast a spell so quickly?" Another person commented. Makarov smiled with pride and Goldmine had a sly smile, since he was apart of Makarov's team back when he was a wizard in Fairy Tail and knew the old man better than most.

"Natsu you're up!" Rex said as he threw Natsu into the air.

The pink haired dragon slayer grinned and flame formed into both hands. "Take the fire in my left hand and the flames in my right and what do yah get? **Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!**" Natsu chanted and pulled both palms together. An explosion of fire sent Lullaby stumbling backwards and it was teetering dangerously. All it needed was one more push. Natsu began to rush towards it but Rex stopped him.

"Let me do this." He requested. Natsu looked at Rex for a moment before finally deciding to let him do what he was going to do. Rex snapped his fingers and a strange blue flame appeared and so did a holographic red triangle. It has the picture of a strange tower with an old Chinese look about it and Rex looped the flame through each corner, creating three smaller blue flames. "This is where it ends. _**Legendary Signature Arts - Sacred Fire!**_" He shouted and blew hard at the triangle. The three flames became one and a large quantity of a negative coloured fire erupted from the triangle. Lullaby drew it's arms together in an attempt to stop it but it was too late and it felt the fire burn at his body and he began to fall backwards, onto the Meeting Hall unfortunately. But everyone was staring at Rex either in shock or in admiration at what he had just done. Makarov was jumping in the air for joy, besides himself at what just happened.

Something made him stop laughing and he gasped, then the members of Team Natsu also looked on in shock at what Rex had done. "Well, that could've gone worse." He said slowly, and he along with the others began to quietly leave.

"You've destroyed our building!" One of them cried out in despair. It was the same one who had commented on Gray's Ice-Make earlier.

Natsu was laughing, impressed with Rex. "Isn't this cool! The Guild Conference is completely gone!" He commented and the other Masters began to look angrily.

"Someone arrest them!" Another one shouted as they began to advance menacingly on the group.

"I'm sorry for what happened Master! It's all my fault!" Rex groaned.

"Don't worry about me! I never really liked these meetings and I don't think I'll be allowed to go back to them ever again." Makarov said mutely, though this did little to improve the mood.

_After the attempted assassination of the Guild Masters, the Dark Guild Eisenwald was rounded up and Rune Knights arrested all of them including the reformed Kageyama who went without protesting, much to his fellow guild members confusion. The Magic Council in Era got hold of Lullaby and were determind it would not fall into the wrong hands. However they now had to deal with the damage done by Fairy Tail, and what was even more worrying was that Erigor was still out there, but Rex and co were not concerned. In fact, they were confident that should Erigor come for round two they would be ready for him_.

* * *

**Magic Council, Era**

The main topic about the current discussion was, of course, Fairy Tail and Eisenwald. The twelve council members were currently listening to Org. He was a tall person with a grey beard and had pointed. "What concerns me most is how a tool from the Book of Zeref managed to fall into the hands of a small Dark Guild. This leads me to my other concern, how many more items and demons from the same book are there?" There was a murmur of agreement and Belno spoke up. She was a woman with yellow hair tied up in a spiky ponytail. "Dealing with these items are simple enough, but the real trouble is those rowdy members of Fairy Tail! Attempting to handle them is easier said then done, look at this!" She said, displaying an image using a green coloured Lacrima. It showed Rex using Sacred Fire on Lullaby.

Another member spoke up, and he wore a hat with several eyes on each side. "Who is this boy and what sort of Take Over is that?" He asked.

Belno pursed her lips. "That's just it! We don't know a thing about him. But then he suddenly shows up out of nowhere and from the looks of it is stronger than Salamander! You wanted to say something Siegrain?" She scowled as she saw a younger member clear his throat.

Siegrain had short blue hair and a strange red tattoo on his face. He wore a white tunic with a vertical black stripe down his sides and wore matching trousers. "I say we should be grateful for them. If they hadn't stopped Lullaby from playing, things would be a whole lot messier. Isn't that right Ultear?" He asked someone standing beside him. Ultear nodded.

"It would appear that Fairy Tail has an interesting Mage among them. Without that guild it would be boring." She remarked and several members got up from their seats in anger.

"I dare you to say that again Ultear!" Org shouted.

"Enough." Another male spoke up. He wore a smaller and broader hat and had a scar running through his left eye. "We would look like fools to not do anything, so this is how we'll deal with it."

* * *

**Lucy's house, Magnolia Town**

Lucy was busy writing a letter to her mother, Layla Heartfilia and was close to finishing it.

_'...the scariest part wasn't that they didn't find Erigor. Rex used a moved called Sacred Fire that looked like a negative flame and that finished the job off, as well as the meeting place. In some ways, he's just like Natsu. Hope you're okay and that father isn't being too hard on you._

_Love, Lucy'_ She finished and sighed, then stretched as she kicked back slightly. _You know, getting a place like this for 70,000 Jewel isn't so bad. The shopping district is close and I have a nice view too. I think I'm lucky that..._ She began to think but stop when she heard a noise.

It was Gray sitting on a chair, topless as normal. "Breaking and entering! And stripping too!" Lucy shouted and was going to rant more but a knock on the door stopped her from doing so. Puzzled, she opened the door and was delighted to see that Rex was the only one so far who had knocked.

Rex sighed and facepalmed. "I did warn you this might happen Gray, there was no need to break into Lucy's house. Knocking as I've just done would be a far better idea."

"Yeah, yeah but I stripped before I came in here. And we were checking to make sure you hadn't forgotten it." Gray explained and Lucy cocked an eyebrow.

"It?" She asked, and it was evident she had forgotten. Once Rex and Gray reminded her of Natsu's fight against Erza, Lucy rushed over towards the Fairy Tail Guild Hall as quickly as possible. A large crowd had gathered to watch fight, practically everyone who wasn't on a job came. Lucy made her way through the crowd to the front and saw Natsu and Erza, staring each other down.

"Oh there you are Lucy. You're just in time too." Mira said and both Elfman and Max Alors were standing next to her.

"Those two are gonna fight seriously, like men!" Elfman proclaimed.

"You do realise that Erza is a woman right?" Mira pointed out.

Max, along with a few others sweated nervously. "Erza's not a woman, she's still a monster."

"You gotta admit though, Erza is pretty manly." Gray countered and Rex saw Makarov standing between them with an arm raised._ He really is going through with this? _Rex thought in astonishment, and Makarov lowered them then quickly went back to the crowd.

Lucy however was concerned for something else. "Wouldn't fighting like that break up Fairy Tail's strongest team?"

Gray snorted. "What idiot said that we're the strongest team in the guild?" He asked and that upset Mirajane. He tried his best to calm her down. It worked, mostly.

"Don't think that Natsu and Gray are the only strong men! I happen to also be one of them!" Elfman added, somewhat offended by the idea.

"But there is no real doubt that Erza is the strongest woman though." Levy pointed out. "When it comes to the top man in Fairy Tail, it could either be Laxus or Mystogan. And we also cannot forget the old man either. Now that I think about it, you could be a strong contender for the title as well." She said, with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes that made Rex blush all of a sudden. He was going to say something along the lines of 'Old man?' but Levy's comment caught him off guard.

The silence grew stronger and all eyes were focused either on Natsu or Erza. "Just so yah know Erza, it won't end like last time. This time will be different!" He declared with such conviction you'd believe it.

"You certainly are strong Natsu, however I can take anything you throw at me. **Requip!**" Erza said and her armour glowed once more. This time when she glow faded, she looked drastically different than when she had the other two Armours Rex and Lucy had seen. This new armour is predominantly dark red, but it also has black and orange on it in pattern reminiscent of a Dragons limbs. Her breastplate didn't have any pauldrons, revealing her shoulders. sport prominent orange decorations, along with small claw-like protrusions on the hands. The greaves are shaped like Dragon's claws, possess orange-colored knee guards, and black parts which extend up from the knees to the upper part of the thighs. The breastplate possessed a pair of Dragon-like wings attached to it, and, while donning this outfit, Erza's hair was tied into a pair of high, long pigtails by clips resembling Dragon's horns.

"What armour is that?" Rex asked.

"It's her Flame Empress Armour, which cuts any fire based attacks by half. Erza is being serious in this fight." Happy replied in an unusually determined tone, having bet on Natsu earlier.

Natsu grinned, clearly hoping for this to happen. He rushed forwards to attack with a fiery fist and Erza blocked it with an orange, dark red and black sword, then swung at Natsu. The pink haired wizard jumped back and used Fire Dragon's Talon. Erza braced herself for this and grunted as the flames burst, but didn't budge an inch.

"**Fire Dragon's Roar!**" Natsu shouted and unleashed a stream of fire. Erza responded by infusing her sword with fire and slashing at the attack. The two cancelled each other out with an explosion and fire was sent everywhere, much to some of the members annoyance. But neither Natsu nor Erza was paying attention as each was focused on the other person.

Erza slashed upwards and Natsu jumped out of the way, but she followed it up with another Flame Slash, catching him off guard. He landed on his side but got up as quickly as possible. Natsu was determined not to give up though as he threw a flaming left hook. Erza sidestepped it and prepared to use Flame Slash again but Natsu caught her off guard this time by using Fire Dragon's Roar.

When the attack died down, Erza was slightly burnt but otherwise she looked as if nothing her happened to her. Both she and Natsu shared a grin before running towards each other for another round of attacks. However there was a slow clapping that stopped them from doing so.

"That's far enough. Nobody make a move! I am a messenger from the Council." The figure was a green toad with a broad dark jacket and a loose white skirt that came down to his knees. Lucy appeared to be the only one terrified by its appearance. Everyone else was nervous over the fact that the Magic Council sent a messenger, which could only mean.

"What do the Council want?" Makarov asked, taking charge before anyone could do anything.

The messenger turned to him. "Ordered by the Council, and wanted for a number of property damage related incident including the Guild Masters Hall in Clover Town. I have come to arrest Erza Scarlet and the white haired Take Over Mage." The messenger declared.

"What did you say?" Natsu shouted and looked as if he was going to stop that from happening.

"Please do not resist, it only makes things complicated." The messenger requested and Natsu looked like he was going to punch someone. Rex was fuming at the fact that he had once again been called a Take Over mage, it was Multitype. But another part of him said go, as it would let him find out more about this world and what was and wasn't allowed to happen.

"Natsu, stop. If they want to arrest us, let them." Rex said and Natsu looks like he was about to argue. "Please." He requested, much to everyone's surprise. Erza hid a smile, as she would've probably done the same thing, while Makarov looked indifferent.

"Aren't you afraid of the Magic Council?" Gray asked as everyone slowly went back towards the Guild. A squad of Rune Knights had come up to arrest them. They had equipped them with wrist cuffs that prevented them from using Magic, but Rex withheld the fact that he didn't use Magic. No need to make things complicated.

Rex merely shrugged. "I've heard of them, but I haven't seen them so anything yet. So I see no reason to be afraid." He explained as they got into the carriage. It had wooden seats and only one window which was on the door and had metal bars to stop anyone from escaping. "Though they could let a bit more light into this. It's quite a depressing place when you think about it. Do you think the Magic Council will actually throw us into jail?"

Erza had smiled at Rex's answer as it was the best answer someone in his position could give, and showed to her at least that Rex was also wiser than he was letting on. "Perhaps, though it could be just a show for all we know and we will be back at Fairy Tail in less than a day." She replied.

"So your saying this is one giant publicity stunt? That sucks." Rex said and slumped into his seat a little.

"Quit talking back there!" One of the Rune Knights snapped and Rex muttered an obscenity under his breath, then fell into silence. It felt like forever, with the small door window being the only way to look at what was going on outside. Rex saw places he had never been to, and occasionally asked Erza about them but there wasn't much conversation after that. They talked quietly to avoid being reprimanded again, and Rex was beginning to suspect that the Rune Knights were treating them like animals, which was starting to irritate him in particular.

After what felt like forever, they were finally allowed out but had to follow a squad of Rune Knights lead by the messenger towards their courtroom. The Rune Knights then left and the three of them carried on until a person caught their attention with blue hair and a red tattoo on his face.

"My my. You come all this way Erza and you don't even say hello. I must say I am disappointed." A cool, smug voice rang out clearly for the three of them to hear.

The messenger bowed, but Erza took a defensive stance. "Siegrain!" She spat. Rex was the only one not understanding what was going on and did absolutely nothing.

Siegrain smiled. "There is no need to be defensive Erza. This body is merely a Thought Projection. The Council are waiting on the other side. I person" He added and the image flickered like static.

"They are out here? Why?" Erza asked, surprised. Normally, the Council would almost never leave Era unless it was an emergency. The fact that it was a mere trial and questioning made it stranger than usual.

"There is no need for either of you to be alarmed. All you have to do is accept the charges, which makes it easier for the Council to put the blame on Fairy Tail. In the end, it's a win-win scenario." Siegrain threw his arms wide and smirked.

"Then why are you here?" Erza retorted, not in the mood to discuss pleasantries.

"You always do go straight to the point, don't you? Very well. I am very interested in our friend over there, his abilities are unlike anything the Council have seen, especially considering that he is the person who accidentally destroyed the Conference Hall when you defeated Lullaby. When you add that to the fact there is neither a record nor an article about you until the incident in Charge on Town, the Council realised that they wanted a talk with said person." Siegrain sighed dramatically.

_Damn, so that means this whole fiasco is about me? What a joke._ Rex thought, but he felt relieved that nothing would happen concerning the destroyed conference hall. Unfortunately it also meant that the Council could find out about this situation of his. Rex would have to risk it and lie.

"I must say I am-"

Rex interrupted Siegrain before he could finish that sentence. "So then we're scapegoats? We have to accept the charges and hurrah to the damn Council for pointing out law breakers is that it?" He said angrily.

Siegrain couldn't hide his surprise at the outburst then chuckled. "I'm mortified. After all, with the possible exception of Yajima, I am Fairy Tail's most ardent defender." He said and Rex raised his eyebrows. That made him even more suspicious of Siegrain and his intentions. "So you're the Take Over wizard that has been rampant throughout the news? Considering the number you did on the Conference Hall alone I'm very impressed. It would have been someone done normally by Natsu Dragneel."

"Don't lump me with that flaming idiot, we aren't as similar as you want to believe." Rex said, glaring at Siegrain. The blue haired member of the Magic Council didn't flinch and proceeded to smirk.

"It's almost time. Erza, please don't speak of a certain subject to the old farts." He said before leaning in and whispering into Erza's ear. Then once Siegrain had finished, the images turned and flickered out of existence.

The messenger looked at Erza in respect and shivered. "You know some very powerful people."

"Evil people." Erza said, looking forwards and the messenger frowned, unsure about what that statement meant. The pair of them walked through into a large, empty courtroom. Seated opposite to them were the twelve members of the Magic Council.

"The accused will take to the stand." Org declared and both Rex and Erza did as they were told. "Erza Scarlet, you are charged with several counts of property damage related to some of the incidents, particularly in Oshibana Town and Onibas Town as well. This Take Over Mage on the other hand will need to be questioned further. First we must start with..." He trailed off a young woman with long, straight dark purple hair got up from her seat. She had brown eyes and wore a long revealing dress and also wore lipstick.

"Maybe I should ask him questions. You are all harsh and imposing. Perhaps a softer touch would be better.," The woman, Ultear, suggested and Erza glared at her. Rex silently admitted that Ultear had a point.

"Either way I don't care who interrogates me, but I won't cooperate with pushy people. And threats only encourage me to not cooperate." Rex said and the Council were shocked by this attitude.

"How dare you come and state that in front the Council! Refusing to do so will only..." Org began but Rex cut the second member of the Council off.

"Prove my point?" He suggested and Org was stunned speechless.

Yajima was a short elderly Mage with thick, light brown eyebrows and a small moustache. He wore an orange coloured sweatshirt and a three pointed hat. He chuckle and commented, "Boy's got spunk."

Before things could get out of hand, Ultear stepped in. "Please, do not listen to them. I will be questioning you, so you don't have a thing to worry about." She said in a purring voice. Once again Erza began glaring at her, clearly seeing that she was trying to seduce Rex who had turned back to her. The dark-haired triple agent ignored her, as she was thinking about how the whole council coming here felt completely unnecessary.

"Mmmmh, I hope you're right." Rex said, but was somewhat sceptical.

"Let's start with your name. Being called the Take Over mage is getting annoying for you and for us." She decided and Erza could clearly see that she was manipulating him with subtlety and Rex was completely unaware of it.

"Fine, I'm Rex Vermend and it's Multitype, not Take Over. It shares Take Over traits, but is not just a simple Take Over." He replied and before they got any more answers there was a loud crashing sound and the entrance to the courtroom was destroyed. The person was responsible was none other than Natsu, who was dressed like Erza along with Happy who dressed like Rex.

"That Erza is not the real Erza! I'm the one responsible for the damage!" Natsu shouted.

"Aye! And I'm Rex Vermend, the Take Over wizard who destroyed the Conference Hall!" Happy declared. There was silence for a while as everyone stared at the pair of them, their actions beginning to sink in.

"Natsu. You flaming idiot. We aren't actually on trial and we were going to be sent to home today. Somehow I don't think that is going to happen." Rex explained quietly and confusion settled on Natsu's face. However Org was getting nothing but angry.

"That's it! Throw those two in the dungeon and the two defendants can join them later on!" Org declared as Rex performed a Karate Chop directly on Natsu's head. It was sufficient to knock him out and he had to be dragged by a Rune Knight.

Erza looked at him, impressed at how he practically defeated Natsu in one shot. After all, the only ones capable of pulling off such a feat were her and their ace Gildarts. It also told her that he was stronger than Rex was letting on, and she made a silent note to challenge him to a fight later on. "We apologise for our friends disturbance. He has an unfortunate case of permanent stupidity." Rex remarked politely and both Ultear and Siegrain chuckled.

"Anyway, Rex." Ultear said before things could blow up again. "As you may have guessed, we don't have any records of your involvements until the incident in Hargeon Town when half of their harbour was unexpectedly destroyed in a fire, perhaps you can explain it?" She asked with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

Rex thought for a moment before answering. "I lived a rather secluded life until I decided to go and join a guild, so I walked and eventually got on a train where I must have dozed off until I woke up and the rest they say is history." He concluded with a casual shrug.

Many of the Council Members raised their eyebrows in suspicion, and Siegrain narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. Rex hoped his story would be accepted and that they wouldn't question him further in case his situation with the Plates was revealed. "It fits with the report Makarov gave us over the Hargeon incident. Therefore, I have no reason to believe that Rex is lying." Siegrain said, much to the surprise of Rex and the others present.

This naturally made the Guardian of the Plates even more suspicious of Siegrain. _Now I think something is up with Siegrain for definite. First off, Erza's reaction. What did she mean by 'Evil people'? Second, the fact that Siegrain simply accepted a story that sounds a bit too perfect. It makes me wonder whether or not he truly believes me and what he really wants._ Rex thought and his attention was once again focused on Org.

The council member cleared his throat. "Mmh hmm. Very well, it would appear that this questioning is at an end. However, I have not forgotten the actions of our gatecrashers and as such you will spend the night with them, is that understood?" Org asked, with a threatening undertone.

Neither of them liked it particularly, but chose to accept it as not doing so could do more harm than good. They were led to the same cell as Natsu and Happy, both of whom shrunk a bit as they saw them approaching and coming into their cell. As soon as the key turned Erza made to smack Natsu, but decided not to in the end.

"Are you angry with us?" Happy asked fearfully. Rex shook his head and they moved forwards, feeling safer.

"Wellllll... I was at first, but then I realised I couldn't be." He admitted, shrugging his shoulders and Happy was smiling in his usual, oblivious way again.

"We're not happy at all with what you have done Natsu, but this was to be expected I guess. In a way, I suppose it was funny to see their faces." Erza admitted and banged Natsu's head against her breastplate.

"Ow!" Natsu complained and everyone else began to laugh, and a Rune Knight told them to keep the noise down. From the shadows, where neither of them could notice, Siegrain was watching and listening with curiosity.

"I see. You were at Fairy Tail, Natsu Dragneel." Siegrain muttered and turned his attention to the white hair Multitype wizards who had supposedly never set foot outside his home. "Rex Vermend. I'll be interested as to how exactly your power develops, it would appear it has unbelievable potential." He smirked maliciously.

* * *

**Hooboy! Sorry for any possible delays, I have just been busy and had little time to write lately. Plus I think it is beat to end it here just like the chapter did, with 'Siegrain' smirking.**

**Piercing Wind Strike?: **Yeah, it's not an actual spell, I made it up. Hopefully nobody objects to that. Expect perhaps Shiro Mashima himself.

**Kale: Yes there will be more pokemon that I will introduce, hopefully in the next chapter of the next arc. That might end up being both at the same time come to think about it. **

**I am sorry if people were wondering if I was going to upload a new chapter, because I'm now trying to aim for around 10k words per chapter.**

**Next time on Guardian Fairy - S is For Six**

**Rex is settling in to life at Fairy Tail, Natsu's antics and being in a different dimension. Then, he is suddenly and unwillingly pulled into an S-Class quest on a cursed island, where all is not what is seems.**


	4. S is for Six

**And now for chapter four. Guys, this is important. I want you to review this because there may be things I need to improve on, otherwise I would make the same mistakes over and over. I also want to find out your thoughts on each chapter because it gives me a sense of satisfaction knowing that this story has been followed and favourited by a surprising number of people.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or Pokemon. They belong to Hiro Mashima and Satoshi Tajiri (and Nintendo) respectively. I only own my character and the idea.**

**Previously on Guardian Fairy -**

**Rex: **Talk about a relief! We managed to defeat Erigor in the end Father, but Kageyama stole the flute and went to finish the job. Talk about a sudden change of mood. Not to worry though, Master Makarov stopped him. But wait, that flute was _alive_. Yes, you did here correctly. _Alive_. But not for long as I incinerated it using Sacred Fire - I wonder what Ho-Oh would say about this. Unfortunately I also destroyed the Guild Masters Hall and as a result went to the Council for questioning. Don't panic Father, I didn't give away my situation. I made stuff up, although I'm not sure that one guy called Siegrain believes me and I personally think he's up to something.

**Greninja:** You're making this sound like Fullmetal Alchemist.

**Rex:** This and that have nothing in common with each other!

* * *

**Chapter 4 - S is For Six**

"Yeeeeah! Woo hoo! Freedom!" Natsu shouted at the top of his lungs as he jumped for joy. He was currently holding a mug of fire in his hands and swinging it around like a maniac. They wasted little time when the three of them were released from their cell and went to Magnolia Town as soon as possible. Unfortunately for Rex, Erza and everyone else in the guild except Happy, Natsu began cheering like there was no tomorrow. "Life outside the slammer sure is sweet!"

"Somebody make him stop." Droy and Jet complained, embarrassed by the sight so much that they forgot to be relieved. They weren't the only ones breathing sighs of relief, the entire guild let out a collective sigh as well and were a bit subdued from the fact it was merely a stunt. All Erza had to do in the end was pay a fine of 150,000J.

"All that worrying for nothing! And I feared that the Council would find out about Rex being from another world too." Lucy said as she slumped down on the table. Sitting next to her were Elfman, Gray and Happy. The latter of whom was unsurprisingly chewing on a fish.

"I got it!" Gray spoke up, putting a fist into the palm of his hand. "They sent us a 'toady' to tell us they'd be back 'today'!" He said in an effort to make a joke.

Elfman shuddered and looked at Gray. "That's an Ice Wizard for you. Your comic timing is far too cold."

"So they just accepted it?" Mirajane asked Rex who nodded.

"I'm not sure everyone believed it, but as long as they don't pry too much I won't have anything to worry about." Rex replied, and his mind drifted once again to Siegrain. The smell of alcohol snapped him out of his thoughts as he saw Cana offering him a mug.

"This is for giving the Council a shock. Drink it!" She requested.

Rex looked at this and sniffed gingerly. "I don't drink. And this smells like there is too much vodka in it anyway." He set it down on the bar and was unexpectedly dragged across the Guild Hall by her. "Hey! What are you doing?" He protested.

Cana was more or less scandalised. "You haven't had an alcoholic drink despite looking as old as Natsu? That's ridiculous! You have to have one drink." She began pleading. Rex began blushing and considered it. It was either Cana asking him or saying one drink and ending up with a headache.

"Fine, but one drink only, got it?" He said firmly, and Cana nodded and she handed him a mug of beer. After a few tense moments, Rex finally downed it. He swore mentally and felt like his head was going to collapse. Rex got up quickly and took a few steps then stumbled and tripped. Those watching nearby began laughing, but stopped when Rex got up and glared hard at them.

"I think beer is off the menu for him." Mirajane observed, fighting a giggle. Rex eventually made it back to his chair and slumped slightly in it. Erza was remaining silent as she ate a slice of strawberry shortcake. She was exhausted from the events of yesterday and was in no mood to talk with anyone yet.

"I got a question. How does this affect the bets we made on Natsu and Erza?" Max asked and Natsu stopped cheering upon hearing the name of the scarlet haired S-Class wizard.

"That's right! Time for round two Erza!" Natsu declared and ran towards Erza with a flaming fist.

"I'm not in the mood Natsu." She replied calmly, but Natsu wasn't going to listen to her and he kept at it. Erza sighed then stood up before she summoned a mallet. She then swung hard, catching Natsu on the stomach and launched him up with tremendous force, so much so that he hit the ceiling with an audible CRUNCH and fell down nearly unconscious on to the table. "If I must, then I must start."

"Aaaand it's all over!" Happy declared as he jumped up with a paw in the air. Elfman and Gray were the only ones laughing at Natsu being one shot by Erza, with everyone else looking on in shock and fear. It made Rex wonder what she would have done to him if she got serious.

When the laughter died down, Makarov yawned and Mirajane turned sharply. "Is something wrong Master?" She asked.

"Nothing, I was just feeling sleeply. He's coming!" Makarov said cryptically and Mirajane as well as several others noted this drowsiness, but they fell asleep before anyone could make a remark about the cause of it. It had a bizarre effect on Rex. The drowsiness snapped him out of his (slightly) drunken stupor and he jumped up when he heard someone approaching. "Who the hell are you and what do you want?" Rex demanded as if anticipating some sort of fight.

The person who had just entered the guild wore a mask and a cloak, practically covering every part of himself except for the eyes. The figure was also wearing a pair of long gloves a carried a set of colourful staves on his back. Despite not being able to see his face, the figure displayed surprise at this. "You can resist my Sleep Magic?" He asked.

"Wait Rex! This is Mystogan, one of us." Makarov intervened before the situation got out of hand. Rex then dropped his attacking stance and sat down as Mystogan walked up to the request board and observed it for a while before picking a job and placing it next to Makarov who was sitting on the table.

"I'm going. The Sleep spell should wear off in 10." Mystogan said clearly as he walked out of the Guild Hall. By the time Rex counted down to zero, he was outside and faded into the mist. At the same time, everyone bar Natsu woke up suddenly and began rubbing their eyes or doing something to shake off the sudden nap they had just taken.

"Did Mystogan just come through here? He really needs to lighten up on the sleep magic." Jet complained.

"Who exactly is Mystogan?" Lucy asked, as she and Rex were the only ones who felt like they were out of the loop.

"Mystogan is one of the contenders for the top man in Fairy Tail, but a real man would fight in the open!" Elfman declared, indicating himself as an example.

"Nobody has seen his face though, since he puts everyone under his sleep spell. We can feel it from a mile away and each time feels worse than the last time." Gray pointed out, still one of the few miffed at what Mystogan had just done.

"Nah, I know." A voice came from the second floor and everybody looked up. It came from a blonde, spiky haired wizard who wore an odd looking pair of headphones as they had a large spike sticking out of them. He wore a dark green shirt with leopard spots on them, and had a pair of wine red trousers and silver shoes. Draped over him was a fur lined cloak with the Fairy Tail mark on in white. His most notable feature was a lightning bolt shaped scar across his left eye. The person's body language reeked of arrogance.

"Laxus! We didn't see you come in!" A Mage said in surprise and upon hearing that name, Natsu woke up as well. Rex glared at Laxus, disliking him almost immediately.

"Laxus?" Lucy asked, vaguely remembering the name.

"Another contender for the top man." Loke commented then moved awkwardly away from her.

Laxus snorted. "Mystogan's shy, so butt out of what don't concern you, got it? Though, white hair over there did get a pretty good look at him." He smirked and Rex now really disliked him.

"I have a name and it's Rex." He pointed out coldly and Laxus began to laugh.

Natsu jumped onto the table as if nothing had happened to him. "Come on Laxus, you and me right now!" He declared. The person sitting next to him, Warren, sweated nervously as his narrow mindedness.

"Hey, didn't you just get beaten by Erza?" He pointed out and Laxus couldn't pass up this opportunity.

"Yeah Natsu, if you can't beat someone as weak as Erza what chance do you have against me?" Laxus taunted, delighted at taking a jab at the both of them.

Erza immediately challenged what he said. "And what is that supposed to mean?" She glared at him, and at the same time emitted a deadly aura and people nearby went behind cover as quickly as they could. It looked like it could become a fight, albeit not such a friendly one as they would normally get themselves into.

"Come down here you jerk!" Natsu demanded.

"How about you come up here?" Laxus retorted.

"Good idea!" Natsu agreed and began running as quickly as possible towards the stairs. For a moment, Rex and Greninja thought he was gonna make it, but were startled when a magically enlarged hand swatted Natsu onto the floor like a fly. The person who did so was Makarov and the Guildmaster shook his head.

"No Natsu, not yet! You're not allowed on the second floor." Makarov sighed as Natsu struggled uselessly to break free from his hand. Laxus was smiling gleefully as Natsu unleashed a stream of fire from his mouth.

"Ha ha! You're making him mad old man." Laxus pointed out the obvious.

"Laxus, stop it!" Makarov said and he opened an eye.

"Hah, I'm the strongest member here. Not Erza, not Mystogan, not even that old guy. I am... The greatest!" Laxus declared, much to the fury of both Natsu and Erza. His triumph didn't last long however as a slashing and tearing sound was heard. Laxus was thrown past the railing, breaking it and fell down onto a table. Rex and Greninja jumped to one side to above becoming part of the floor and Laxus landed with a loud bang. Wood chips were sent flying upwards and came down on his body, as well as settling dust. It appeared as I'd he had wrecked the bar several feet from Makarov, still holding down Natsu by the way.

Everyone who stood there couldn't believe it. Someone had actually managed a sneak attack on Laxus and sent him falling over to the ground. Laxus jumped up and glared with a look of anger on his face. "Which coward did that?!" He demanded and nobody spoke a word, as nobody saw who was responsible. Mirajane looked at Rex assuming he was responsible, but the surprise on the white haired male's face clearly indicated otherwise.

"No ones owing up? Fine, I'll crush all of you if necessary!" Laxus shouted. The guild members bar Erza, Natsu and Rex cowered back in fear, knowing full well that the blonde haired wizard was more than capable of defeating half of them with a flick of his wrist.

"Stop it, Laxus! Can't you see that no one has moved before or after your fall? Go back upstairs or on a job." Makarov said, stepping in before things got out of hand.

"For now..." Laxus trailed off threateningly and vanished in a flash of light. A few tense moments passed and the guild went back to being (mostly) normal, though they were still apprehensive about what just happened. Natsu remained on the floor for a few moment before getting up and rubbing his neck. Erza walked over to Rex and turned his attention to her.

"I know what you're going to say. You're glad that I took a shot at Laxus otherwise you might of done, right?" Rex guessed and Erza looked startled as that was what she was going to say right down to the letter. "Except there is one problem. I didn't do it... which leads us to suspect No.2." He finished, glaring at Greninja.

"Yeah, I did it. I used Substitute to create a copy whilst I slammed into him using Night Slash." Greninja explained.

Natsu decided to join in. "I'm glad ya hit him. He deserved it." He said to the Ninja Pokemon and Rex raised an eyebrow at that. The Guardian secretly hoped that it wouldn't become a habit.

Greninja smirked and Rex turned his attention to Mirajane, who managed to replace the broken furniture within a surprisingly short amount of time. "Well that was fast." He commented, impressed.

Mirajane nodded, and blushed slightly at the compliment. "No need to thank me. My experience with Fairy Tail's frequent fights has taught me to be prepared." She replied and then remembered something. Weren't there six Pokeballs on him? If there was six Pokemon on him, that would mean none of them had seen anyone other than Greninja. "Um, Rex, since you have six pokemon currently on hand including Greninja could you..?" She trailed off and he caught on.

"Show them to the guild? Of course." Rex said and took out 5 other Pokeballs. The chatter died down again as everyone wondered what sort of pokemon were inside them. They didn't know about every single individual one, but they did know that there were hundreds of different species and some of them even wondered what they would look like. Happy unsurprisingly was hoping for one of them to be a fish like creature. "Say hello to everyone. Gallade, Gardevoir, Garchomp, Aggron and Braviary!" Rex cried as he threw three Pokeballs, a Dusk Ball and an Ultra Ball into the air. Four white lights and a dark purple one burst from the pokeballs and took shape.

The first one to Greninja's left was a pokemon who had a pair of green tonfa styled arms and a green gladiator helmet. He had a crimson protrusion on his thin chest and had white rounded hips as well as strong looking white legs.

The one to his left looked very much like a female counterpart. She had green curved hair and also had a crimson protrusion out from her chest, but the big difference was that her legs were hidden underneath a long white robe that was green on the inside.

Starting on the left side next to Rex was a rather large bird with dark blue under feathers that were a brown reddish colour on the other side. His tail had a yellow stripe then a blue stripe at the end and the claws were black. Above his eyes were three white feathers with a three pointed brown red shape below.

Behind Rex, stood two giant pokemon who were arguably taller than Elfman individually. The first looked as if he was made out of iron with dark grey chest plates and two spikes sticking out of holes in his silver faceplate and had a long thick black tail.

The other one was primarily dark blue, but had red scales from his lower jaw down to the abdomen as well having a smaller yellow area below and a yellow star on her forehead. She also had a face that resembled a hammerhead and several appendages.

"This is Gallade, Gardevoir, Braviary, Aggron and Garchomp." Rex introduced simply and several members turned their attention to each one in turn.

"Look at them Senpai, they're awestruck." Gallade pointed out, amused by the general reaction of the Fairy Tail Mages. Natsu and Gray were looking at Garchomp and Aggron respectively.

"So you're Garchomp, huh? That's really awesome!" Natsu grinned and Garchomp smiled back in appreciation.

Gray snorted. "Get real Natsu, Aggron is cooler by a long shot." He said and the two large pokemon exchanged curious glances.

Natsu was right up in Gray's face before anyone could say something. "Don't be such a stupid lollipop, Garchomp is clearly better!" He shouted.

Gray glared just as hard back and was unaware of the fact that he was once again shirtless. "Tough talk flame brain, Aggron is far better." He contested.

Aggron was the first to see Gray shirtless. "Weren't you wearing a shirt?" He asked in a rough voice and Garchomp just stared at him.

Gray stopped then realised that Aggron was right. "DAMNIT!" He swore and panicked as he tried to find his clothed.

"Huh, icy stripper got what was coming for saying he's weak." Natsu commented, clearly not understanding the difference between the two of them. Both Garchomp and Gallade facepalmed, something that Natsu didn't understand until Rex decided to drop the news.

"Natsu, the female members of my team are Garchomp and Gardevoir." Rex pointed out and Natsu did a double take, nervous as if Garchomp would attack him like Erza normally did when he screwed up. "Look, how you tell a female from a male is simply. Observe this back fin here. If there is a large groove in it then the Garchomp is male, otherwise it's a female." He explained, and Natsu felt safer when she clearly wasn't going to attack him.

This allowed Lucy to pick up on something she had already noticed. "So then, what's up with Gallade and Gardevoir?" She asked and everyone else began to realise this upon closer looking.

"I hardly think that's it something simple as a minor aesthetic difference." Erza added, also wanting to know.

"Shall I explain it or you?" Rex asked Gardevoir.

"I will." Gardevoir replied, and had a voice that was smooth and clear, but not as deep as Erza. "Like Erza says, it's more than something simple. We both come from the same family, I mean evolution line. Some pokemon can only evolve once, others evolve twice and quite a few don't evolve at all. However, in certain cases, a pokemon's gender can effect what they can become. We both start off as Ralts and we can both evolve to Kirlia and that's where the similarities end there. Whilst both male and female Kirlia can become Gardevoir, only male Kirlia can evolve into Gallade through holding a Dawn Stone." She explained and there were looks of disbelief and astonishment at the requirement to become a Gallade.

"Is this really true?" Levy asked, subdued by this information.

"Of course it is! There are lots of different conditions for evolving. They include gender specifications and stones like you heard. But others conditions include happiness, learning a specific move and even the time of day." Garchomp pointed out and Natsu had a big grin on his face. This idea of altering appearance and increasing his strength sounded incredible, not only to him but to a few others.

"Look at em! They're like Pelippers who don't know how to shut their mouths." Braviary pointed out and chortled.

"Don't Pelipper have beaks?" Rex asked and Braviary rounded on him.

"They are not beaks, they can't do this!" Braviary contested hotly and clicked his beak several times, feeling scandalised that his own trainer was considering calling them beaks. Rex simply shrugged and let the guild members continue to marvel at seeing more of this. Even Makarov walked over (predictably) to get a curious look at what was under Gardevoir's robe but was caught and thrown at the wall via the use of Psychic.

Eventually once all the excitement had died down, Rex recalled all of them except for Greninja and sat down in an attempt to relax. Yet again it was another exhausting day for him, first the hullabaloo with the Council, then his encounter with Mystogan and Laxus and finally showing off his team. Rex was looking forward to relaxing and sleeping at Mira's.

Or he would be if it weren't for Natsu dragging him out of the Guild. "Not again!" He shouted bitterly and Greninja followed him, curious as to where this was going to lead.

Lucy sat at the now repaired bar with Plue on the seat next to her and began to sweatdrop nervously at what was happening, but needed to ask Mirajane something important. "What was Makarov going on about Natsu not being allowed on the second floor?" She asked.

"The reason Natsu is not allowed on the second floor is because on that floor is where the S-Class requests are." Mirajane explained simply and Lucy jumped in shock.

"S-Class?!" She said and Plue mimicked her expression of both shock and fear.

"Mmm hmm." Mirajane nodded. "These types of jobs make regular jobs look like a walk in the park since they are higher paying jobs and far more dangerous than normal ones. Only certified S-Class wizards can go up and take one of those jobs. For now it's best if you just stick with the regular ones and don't let the second floor bother you." Mirajane advised and Lucy nodded in agreement.

Later, she was walking through Magnolia town and headed towards her home. She had heard of Laxus and Mystogan before and was lucky to be part of such a strong guild. Lucy stopped as she vaguely heard someone warning her not to fall in, concentrating on the fact that Rex and Greninja were waiting outside her home. "Oh no, don't tell me!" Lucy groaned and Rex zipped his mouth shut rather comically, complying with her request. She sighed and walked in, and sure enough there was Natsu and Happy, doing some sort of training routine. "BREAKING AND ENTERING!" She shouted and kicked Natsu hard in the stomach. He let go of the dumbbells and they fell on his face.

"I told you guys it was a bad idea." Rex sighed, facepalming.

"Ooomph, but we're training hard in order to beat Erza and Laxus." Natsu complained whilst Happy was doing some press ups beside him.

"Aye!" Happy agreed between pushups. Hearing the name Laxus made Rex remember something that had happened earlier.

"Speaking of Laxus, that was a very dangerous thing you did you stupid frog!" Rex said, clearly unhappy with what Greninja had done. "You're lucky you got him by surprise. Next time he'll be expecting that! If I have the Dread Plate by then that attack will be useless." However he wasn't angry for long and Rex shook his head in disagreement, then sat down on a chair.

Having recovered from his little accident, Natsu looked up with a grin on his face. "I've finally come to a decision." Everyone was looking at him with interest, with the exception of Happy who had a smile on his face. "We're ready for an S-Class quest!" Natsu declared and Happy produced a paper with a request on it. Lucy was the only one to jump in shock and horror. Since Natsu had dragged Rex away from the guild he never found out why Makarov had stopped Natsu from going onto the second floor. But Lucy's reaction told him that something was amiss.

"Uh, Natsu? How did you get that piece of paper?" Rex asked, missing something.

"I flew up to the second floor and took it when no one was looking." Happy explained, ignoring any consequences that would potentially come. And it would come in the form of an armoured Mage, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

"You cat burglar!" Lucy jumped accusingly.

"But it's to a resort island!" Happy protested and Lucy suddenly showed interest in the job.

Rex snatched the piece of paper and read it. "Really? Because it says that Galuna Island is a cursed island." He countered with a deadpan expression. "Though, 7 million Jewel is quite a reward. That... is enough for me to buy my own place." Rex admitted and Lucy was having none of it.

"The two of you can go on your own and it's up to you whether or not you go on the job Rex." Lucy said and everyone left her home. She then noticed that the job request itself was left on her chair and she read the request out of sheer curiosity. Lucy then saw that in addition to the 7,000,000 Jewel that they would get upon completing the job there would also be...

"-the Zodiac key for Sagittarius!" She cried, eyes shining at the chance. In an instant she was out of the house and rushed to Natsu to inform him that she changed her mind.

* * *

**The Fairy Tail Guild Hall, Magnolia Town**

Mirajane Strauss hummed as she swept up what was left of the debris from Laxus and his little fall the previous day. When Rex had arrived back at her house he told her about the scolding that he gave Greninja, and secretly admitted that he would've probably done something too given the situation.

_Regardless of the fact he is from another world, Rex is one interesting person. I don't think anyone could deny that fact._ Mirajane thought with a smile, knowing the blond haired Mage was within ten feet of her. When she looked at the request board, her cheerful demeanour evaporated. Instead of the S-Class board displayin three requests like there normally were, it was now one short.

"Master!" She cried as she hurried down the stairs. Makarov and several others turned to look at her. "One of the S-Class requests is missing!" Upon uttering this words the guild fell to silence and Makarov widened his eyes with realisation.

"What?" He said, as if he was choking on something bitter.

"Someone stole an S-Class request? Who did that?" Macao wondered, raising an eyebrow.

"Whoever did so is either really strong or really dumb." Wakaba commented. Mirajane then remembered something. _Rex was dragged out against his will yesterday by Natsu right? But then... _She trailed off not wanting to think of what could happen.

"I think I saw a blue cat fly up here. He may have taken a paper." Laxus said casually, almost disinterested.

"You mean Happy?" Alzack asked. He had black hair that covered one of his eyes and used Guns Magic.

"Which means the Natsu, Lucy and Rex have also gone on it as well. Talk about guts." Bisca concluded. She wore a hat and had long green hair. She specialised in a type of Requip known as the Gunner.

"Gee I dunno. That is a serious breach of rules gramps, in fact I think it's enough to warrant expulsion from the Guild. Of course that is if they get out alive, but I don't expect those losers to." Laxus commented, smiling.

Mirajane went upstairs and stood next to Laxus. "If you knew it was Happy why didn't you stop him?" She demanded, glaring slightly at him.

"Well how was I supposed to know it was Happy anyway? It could've been any blue cat with wings. They're dead regardless." Laxus said uncaringly, not even looking at Mirajane. Something snapped inside of her and in response she glared hard and fiercely at Laxus whilst giving off a sinister aura that made anyone else close by cower in fear.

"...I haven't seen that face in a while." Laxus smirked, clearly unfazed.

"Which job went missing?" Makarov said, face frowning at what to do.

"It was the Galuna island request." Mirajane said.

"The demon island!" Makarov shouted, eyes wide open.

"They really are idiots then. Especially Natsu, I'd never imagine he'd do this." Someone commented.

"W-wait! Rex might not be aware of it. I was about to explain it to Lucy, and then Natsu dragged him off for some reason. I never realised it would be this." Mirajane pointed out. This was partially to disprove the notion of him being an irresponsible person and partly because she liked him.

Makarov considered it for a moment, growing increasingly concerned with the situation. "I see, if that's true then Natsu would have had to take him in order to convince him for joining this job without realising that it was forbidden. And it's your job to go and get them." Makarov said to Laxus.

The blonde Mage shook his head. "No way in hell gramps. I got important business to do with my jobs. Besides, I thought everyone in Fairy Tail was supposed to look out for each other." Laxus replied.

Makarov had just about had it with his grandson. "That's enough! I don't care how you feel about Natsu! If you won't bring him back then there is currently no one else who can!" He said loudly.

The silence was broken by someone moving his chair back and standing up. It was none other than a half naked Gray, who looked at Makarov. "I'm sorry Master, but I can't let that statement slide." He said with a look of determination on his face.

* * *

**Hargeon Town**

They had gone to Hargeon Town, once again, in order to get a ship to take them to Galuna Island. "Why are we here for the second time in several days?" Rex asked, confused.

"It feels like we were here only yesterday." Lucy sighed nostalgically.

"It practically was Grandma Lucy." Happy teased with a paw over his mouth to stop himself from laughing.

"Who are you calling an old lady?!" Lucy snapped.

Rex interrupted before things could escalate any further. "Right well, before Lucy attacks Happy, we need to get a boat to Galuna Island and fast." He suggested.

"Can't we just swim instead?" Natsu said quickly. He was really hoping not to go on a boat in particular, as it made his motion sickness even worse than usual thank to the constant rocking from side to side.

"We are not going to swim there Natsu. Taking a boat is much easier." Rex pointed out. Unfortunately when he tried asking the nearest captain his hopes of getting there by boat were shot down quickly. "What d'you mean can't go to Galuna Island?" He declared, annoyed at their response.

The nearest sailor, who was on a very small boat, turned to him. He was dark skinned and had black hair and eyes, as well as a black moustache that rand down last his mouth. "It's bad luck to mention that name. They say anyone who goes there will be cursed." The man explained.

"Oh fiddle!" Rex snorted, not buying this curse for a minute. "I'll disprove it by going to the island and back and come out completely unaffected by the curse. And it has to be by boat." He added as he sat down on the pillar with a strop on his face.

"You heard what he said, so we'll swim." Natsu argued. "Besides, we're..."

He was cut off when a hand firmly held his and Lucy's shoulder. A hand that belonged to none other than Gray Fullbuster. "In so much trouble when you get back." Everyone, including Rex jumped in shock.

"...What for?" Rex asked, now confused.

Gray raised an eyebrow, but decided that the reaction was genuine. "Oh, you didn't know then? Well you might get off the hook, but flame brain and Lucy here will definitely be punished for going on an S-Class mission without actually being S-Class." Gray explained and Rex began to think.

Happy unexpectedly flew behind Gray. "Please help me Gray! I was forced to go along with them!"

"Liar!" Lucy screeched and Gray deadpanned, his expression reading as if.

"Ya know Natsu, if you go back now you might just escape being expelled from the Guild." Gray warned and Lucy suddenly lost the will to argue with him at the thought of being expelled.

"I don't care! I'll prove I'm S-Class worthy by completing, and the old man will be proud of us." Natsu growled as he turned to face Gray.

The raven haired mage was about to retort when Rex slapped himself in the head. "OF COURSE!" He shouted loudly and began glaring daggers at Natsu. "So that's why you dragged me out from the Guild Hall. I thought something was up but it never occurred to me that it would be this!" He said out loud and his right arm began crackling with electricity.

The sailor then noticed it and spoke before it could get out of hand. "Excuse me, are all of you people wizards?" He asked.

"Uh, yes. Why?" Lucy replied.

"So you are here to lift the curse then?" The sailor said hopefully.

"No! They're called S-Class for idiots like you who can't think things through. One false move and you're dead!" Gray interrupted, not having any of it. "What happens when Erza comes after you?"

"Oh, I see then. Well I was hoping for someone to come and lift it but it appears that I was wrong." He turned away and Rex felt as if the person was tugging at his heart strings. He couldn't stand by and watch other people suffer like this but at the same time he didn't want his time in Fairy Tail to end here and now. Furthermore, if there were any Plates lying on the island Rex couldn't pass up an opportunity like this. It would not come again ever.

"Guys. I've made a decision. I want to go to Galuna Island. But not for the sake of a 7 million Jewel reward. I'm doing it to help those who are suffering, and hopefully I can find one of the Plates as a bonus." He said calmly and Gray stood there, stunned.

The boat driver cut across any objections. "Get it and hurry! You can call me Bobo." He said.

Natsu snuck up on Gray and knocked him unconscious by hitting him hard in the head and throwing him into the boat. On it Rex found some rope and used it to tie several tight knots to prevent him from using his Magic or escaping. Natsu came on next followed by Happy then Lucy, and the dragon slayer assumed his sick position over the side of the boat when they started moving. For most of the journey there wasn't much talking, with only the occasional question or request to stop the semiconscious Natsu from falling out of the boat.

Lucy brought up something she remembered earlier on. "You said you might find one of the Plates there. How certain are you?" She asked in a low voice, so that Bobo couldn't find out he was from another world. By this time Gray had woken up and was also looking on in curiosity as well.

Rex squirmed in his seat. "Truth be told. I'm not exactly one hundred percent certain. More like 50%, but I can't pass up an opportunity like this. Even if there isn't one there at least I've looked right? Besides, if I get close to one, I'll feel it." He pointed out and they nodded.

"I should warn you about the curse. It isn't a pretty one." Bobo warned, and as the moon shone they began to see why. His arm had now become mangled and the skin was more of a wine red colour with black marks on and the hand looked more like a claw. "This island has been affected by the curse for more than three years. There it is, dead ahead." Bobo added, pointing to it and everyone looked out.

Galuna Island looked like it had only one beach and everywhere else ended in tall steep cliffs that would result in your doom if you made one fatal misstep. Rex could make out a temple rising up above everything else and assumed there was some of village somewhere as well. "So how does-?!" He was about to ask and then noticed something.

Lucy noticed this as well and looked around quickly. "Where did he go?" She asked, dumbfounded by the developing events. There was a low rumble and everyone saw a giant wave heading towards them.

"Not good! Happy, help me with Natsu!" Rex shouted as he managed to hold on to the motion sick salmon haired mage just in time as the next moment the boat was smashed by the wave into many pieces. When they got up, they saw that the boat was more or less ruined by the wave, evidenced by the fact that there were lots if pieces of wood all over the place. It was still nighttime and Rex groaned as he got up, having nearly hit a tree.

"All right we made it!" Natsu said with a grin, having recovered from his motion sickness.

Gray got up too as the wave had untied his ropes. _And those knots were some of the best I could do too. _Rex thought, complaining in private.

"...I should go back, but I'm going to help you complete this job. Maybe if we do then the Master will acknowledge us." Gray admitted, though he was still a bit uneasy about this.

"And I thought he was still intending to go back to the Guild and get Erza." Lucy commented, letting out a sigh.

"Aye." Happy agreed.

Rex picked up a ball and sent Gardevoir out. "Any chance we could repair the boat?" He asked hopefully.

Gardevoir's eyes began to glow blue as she inspected. "Afraid not. Too many pieces to put back together just like that. Plus I would have to keep using it just to hold it together and even I can't keep it up for that long." She replied and Rex gave a shrug, but she sensed his disappointment and began following him as they made their way to the village and got as far as the gates.

Several robed figures saw their approach. "Hold it! Why are you here?" One of them demanded.

"We're here for the job request. We're all members of Fairy Tail!" Rex replied in a loud clear voice.

"You accepted out job offer? Why haven't we heard about it then?" They challenged and Rex cursed under his breath.

"There must have been a mix up in communication." Rex explained and began hoping that they would buy that story.

They debated with each other for a bit before turning back to them. "Can you please show us your guild marks as proof?" A male guard requested and they were happy to oblige. Natsu held out his left arm and Lucy lifted the hand with her mark on. Happy revealed his guild mark on his back and Gray took off his clothes briefly. Rex tilted his head to one side to show the guild mark on his throat. After another few moments, the guards decided to let them in and the gate opened. In the village there were many small huts that often stood in clumps around tall watchtowers. They were also greeted by a group of robed villagers and Rex briefly remembered his encounter with Mystogan.

"Hem, hem! I'm glad you accepted out request. I am Moka, the village elder." The short person at the front introduced and nodded once, signalling for everyone to take their clothes off. Everyone gasped as they saw that every person, including the animals had a cursed body part be it arm, leg, horns, even faces. "As you can see, this curse has affected everyone in the village, turning them into monsters or demons." Moka explained.

He was a short bald person with long silver sideburns and tanned skin. Moka wore a necklace with a small skull on it and many curved teeth, as well as carrying a wooden staff with a crescent moon on the end. Moka also wode a dark blue cape that drapes down from his shoulders to the back of his knees that features a crescent moon symbol. There was a white tribal-like kilt that features a red ringed circle and two green stripes encircling near the trimmings of the kilt, which is also cut decoratively. Moke had gold rings on both of his legs and his left arm. Though it appeared as if only his right arm was demonized.

"Those... Are HUGE sideburns!" Natsu cried, gawking and everyone groaned quietly.

"Heh hem." Moka said before tears began welling up in his eyes. "But when the full moon comes out we fully transform into abominations. When the sum rises we turn back to normal except for a few who become fully demonized. When that happens we have no choice but to kill them. I... had to stab my own son because of what was happening to him." He admitted and looked up.

Rex turned around and saw that the full moon was coming out. "What could be so bad about being fully- HOLY ARCEUS!" He cried as the residents began glowing a faint purple colour. Moka now has purple skin, and has dark violet spots all over his body. He has blue claws for feet and hands. Similar transformations had also occurred to the other residents on the island and were looking red, purple, yellow and green. "This looks more like a disease than a curse."

"Hem hem. We've had various doctors look into this and all of them have concluded that there is no possible way for it to be any known disease in the world, which is why we decide to ask for a Guilds help." Moka replied.

"Hmm? Your mission, is to destroy the moon!" Moka declared as pointed his staff upwards at the now pinkish glowing moon. Everyone felt their jaw drop at the request.

"Destroy the moon? How? And what makes you think it's the moon?" Gardevoir asked, and she felt like there was something wrong with that theory.

"Because it happens each night, only when the moon comes out." Moka replied and right now she couldn't really fault his line of thinking.

Natsu yawned. "We can get to destroying tomorrow. I'm pooped right now." He said and Lucy just stared at him, unable to comprehend how the dragon slayer could be sleepy considering Natsu was previously on a boat, but Rex had a much more stressful time lately, considering that he was brought in for questioning.

"That... Is not such a bad idea. I feel like I'm going to fall asleep any minute." Rex admitted then looked at Moka. "Do you if there are any spare huts?"

The following day Rex made a tooting sound with his mouth, mimicking that of an early trumpeting wake up call done half badly and everyone groaned as they got up. Lucy had somehow managed to get herself sleeping between the two time bombs who amazingly never woke up for whatever reason. She raised an eyebrow at how Rex was faring better than rest of them and Happy was still asleep.

"How can you take this?" She asked and went over to Happy. "Wake up cat!" She said loudly.

"Aye..." Happy responded and did his best in getting up as well.

"As a trainer I got sort of used to short nights and running on 4 hours sleep at a time." Rex explained and that seemed to shake Lucy awake at the mere mention of four hours. That was impossible for her. "I spied a temple on the way in, so let's go there and look around." He suggested, still remembering to look out for and find any Plates that could be on the Island. But he also didn't forget what Uxie said about unlocking some of the Plates as well, hoping it was a good type as well.

"Surely though, there has to be a way other than destroying the moon to lift the curse right?" Gray asked. "The old man at the village was merely assuming it was the moon wasn't he?"

"I don't know Gray, but if comes down to destroying the moon then I'll have no choice." Natsu declared and the others were surprised that Natsu would be willing to consider such a thing. Rex stopped and put the side of his head to the floor, as is listening out for something. After a few moments of nothing happening, everyone felt a light tremble, then another one and another one, slowly getting stronger.

"An earthquake?!" Lucy and Happy panicked out of fear.

Rex shook his head. "Wrong. Someone or something is coming this way." He said.

Right on cue, a giant female rat appeared, wearing a black corset-style top with pink frilly edges which is tied up the front with black strings. Completing her outfit is a white lace headband and a red ribbon tied across her chest. She also had turquoise fur and a huge tail. "Chuu!" It said and Rex felt the air vibrate from the sound. _This reminds me of a Pikachu, with the exception of it being not cute at all._ Rex thought and snapped himself out of his trance.

Lucy summoned Horologium and hid in it along with Happy. Natsu jumped at it with a flaming fist but the rat turned and released a cloud of stinky gas that had Natsu reeling on the ground the next minute thanks to his enhanced senses and the rat then began to take a step.

"Not gonna happen!" Gray said and put his hand together and formed a seal. "Ice Make: Floor!" He chanted and slammed both of them onto the ground. The floor in front of him quickly turned to ice and the rat scrambled to regain her balance. Rex took this opportunity to jump up and attack it with Jump Kick, silently thanking Arceus that he didn't miss as the last thing he needed was to suffer crash damage.

There was no sign of any further monsters attacking them as they made their way towards the temple. Up close, it looked as if it had aged really badly as there were many loose bits and pieces of stone everywhere. Inside a small section of floor was missing and the place in general looked like it was going to collapse.

"So we just have to walk in like this?" Natsu said and slammed his foot down.

"Don't do it Natsu you flaming idiot!" Rex cried in desperation but it was too late. The floor beneath them crumbled and everyone fell into a cave that had a faint blue glow about it. "Ow, that hurt. However I think we should look around here for a way back up." He suggested.

"Aye." Happy agreed, head shaking slightly from the fall.

After walking round in the dark for a while along with the occasional stumbled they found themselves in a huge gigantic cave that looked as if it was in the center of the temple. It shone a bright neon blue colour. The most interesting thing about it was the fact that there was a giant lump of ice in middle and there was something in it.

That thing was a massive, dark blue, humanoid Demon with a large torso and two large arms that end in large, scaly hands. In addition, it had two large legs that with feet that resemble the feet from a large bird, he also has large spikes on the back of his feet. The hair is mane-like in shape and it flows down to the nape of his neck. It had a pair of horns that point upwards, starting from a plate on his forehead. He had large pointed teeth as well as two hollow eyes. Everyone displayed shock upon seeing it encased and Gray was even more shocked than anyone else and his eyes widened partly in fear.

"What in the name of Arceus is this? It looks like some sort of beast." Rex wondered out loud and began approaching it.

"What the hell is Deliora doing here?" Gray shouted loudly and everyone turned to him in surprise.

"You know who Deliora is Gray?" Happy asked, curious.

"Deliora, the Demon of Destruction. He... was the monster who kille my mentor, Ur. She used a spell called Iced Shell to seal Deliora. But I don't get why he is here!" Gray said, remembering that fateful day. He had gone to fight Deliora himself upon hearing his whereabouts and got into an argument with her about how Gray wasn't ready, that ultimately lead to her sacrifice to stop the Demon of Destruction. Gray then saw Natsu attempt to melt the ice and he punched the dragon slayer away.

"What was that for?" Natsu growled, annoyed.

"Don't get your fire anywhere near that thing! Deliora didn't just kill my mentor as he ravaged my homeland. He also... my..." Gray couldn't finish but Rex and Lucy both understood what he meant.

"You said that Ur cast that spell right? Well this isn't ordinary ice. Watch." Gardevoir said as she formed a pink orb in front of her chest. "Moonblast." She said calmly and fired a pink laser at the ice. It definitely made contact, but when the smoke cleared up there was no indication of a scratch on the ice.

"No... I guess not." Gray conceded, but was still troubled by the Demon being here. They all headed distant voices and decided to hide behind a natural cluster of rocks.

A group of three people came out. The first was a relatively short mage with long spiky blue hair and big, distinct bushy eyebrows. His posture appearweds relaxed as he wore a green jacket with dark green around the edges and on the shoulders as well as a pair of slightly loose trousers and light coloured shoes.

The second person looked like a dog but was the average height of person, looking just as tall as Rex and had short brown hair. He had larger eyes and wore a collar around his neck. A shirtless top and a pair of jeans held up by a belt and on his arms were some tattoos.

The third member of the group was female. She had long pink hair tied in pigtails, a choker that was tied into a ribbon, a purple and pink short spaghetti dress with light pink trimmings, black leggings, and high-heeled sandals. Her dress appeared to have two long and thin wings at the back.

"Mmmh, I just had to wake up this afternoon. Why couldn't the Moon Drip spell work in the day instead." He blue haired wizard said with what sounded like disinterested.

"Uhhhn." The dog person said, scratching his stomach.

"I thought I heard intruders. You said you did Toby, but it appears the only intruder was a dog." The first person commented casually.

"Ooooon?" Toby grunted then realised that Yuka was making fun of him. "I am not a dog I only look like one okay?" He shouted quickly.

"Relax, it was just a joke!" Yuka smirked and the woman turned to face them.

"Someone hurt our poor, beautiful Angelica! She is the meaning of love, and those intruders shall be punished for doing so!" She declared rather dramatically.

"Angelica, beautiful Sherry?" Yuka said, raising one of his large eyebrows. That broke its smooth curved flow and resembled a raised bridge.

"We mustn't let anyone interrupt the Moon Drip ceremony! Reitei-sama will want to know of this, his love is absolute." Sherry replied. This was a goldmine of information for Rex. For starters, whatever this Moon Drip was, it sounded like it could melt Iced Shell and Gardevoir's Moonblast did absolutely nothing to it. That also indicated how strong Moon Drip was. It also revealed to him that whoever this Reitei guy is was the mastermind of this operation to free Deliora. But what did this have to do with the Island curse?

Gardevoir shook her head. "Talk about twisted love." She whispered. "It's making me sick. One thing I felt though, they all appeared to show resentment towards Deliora." Gray tuned to face her incredulously.

Lucy also turned to her. "How can you tell?" She asked quietly.

"Because I can feel emotions, like your confusion. And now your surprise." Gardevoir smirked then turned her attention to the sound of something falling from the ceiling. It was a rock, but the group appeared to think otherwise.

"We can pass the time by searching for these intruders and eliminating them. The Cold Emperor won't be happy if someone ruins his plan to release Deliora." Yuka said, confirming Gray's earlier suspicions. He tensed up in fury at the idea of someone releasing the Demon of Destruction.

When they left everyone sprawled out in relief and took deep breaths. Gray was the only one who realised what they were going to do. "I won't let them revive Deliora or disgrace Ur's name, Reitei!" He declared as he stared up at Deliora.

* * *

**And another chapter done! See, it is longer than the last one. If you want to anything please let me know in your reviews and I will try to answer some of them.**

**Mega Evolution: **Gardevoir, Gallade, Aggron and Garchomp can all Mega Evolve, but take it in turns having their respective Mega Stone. Gardevoir won't have it in this arc but will during the Phantom Lord arc. Aaaand I gave something away, woohoo.

**Next time on Guardian Fairy - Dancing on Ice**

**As the mystery continues on Galuna Island, not only does Gray bump into Deliora but he also finds out the real identity of Reitei. Gray wants to settle things his way, but how will that effect the mission, especially with Erza coming after them?**


	5. Dancing on Ice

**I think I should start responding to reviews now.**

**Insane Dominator:** Thank you and I would just like to point out one thing. I never said I would be following the logic of the games, so they won't have 4 moves, more along the lines of 6.

**kingdom cure:** I genuinely don't know about this one, I may make no more than two at the most Mega Evolve and that will ultimately depend on the situation.

**blizzardzord: **I'm glad you like the part with Gardevoir, because I could honestly see that happening when I was writing that part of the previous chapter. As for the second comment, my lips are sealed.

**ultima-owner:** As with the previous reviewer, my lips are sealed. However I would like to point out that Rex cannot use Roar of Time per se, and simply him using it via Metronome would be stupid and I honestly think that The Jupiter Cannon is stronger than a single Roar of Time. It heavily damaged Erza's Adamantine Armour for crying out loud!

**Previously on Guardian Fairy - **

**Rex: **Wow Father. All that worrying about the council for diddly squat. Unfortunately Natsu began getting too big for his boots and challenged Erza again, despite her not wanting to be in the mood. I also managed to meet two other S-Class wizards, Laxus and Mystogan. Laxus was _really _arrogant and strong but didn't see Greninja coming by the look of it. Mystogan intrigues me, as I'm one of three people who've seen his face and that single strand of blue hair I saw sticking out feel very familiar. So I got dragged away to do a request which turned out to be illegal. But I went because of the task to collect the plates Father.

**Gardevoir:** But we somehow ran into a Demon called Deliora who according to Gray shouldn't even be there. I'm worried about Gray Ancient One, he could end up being reckless.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Dancing on Ice**

The group were now looking up at Deliora, deciding no longer that they should hide. Gray was still angry on the inside, though to his credit he hid it from everyone except Gardevoir. However she decided not to say anything as it could provoke him unnecessarily and stood next to Lucy, Happy and Natsu.

Rex was thinking as he connected up the dots. _Hmm. So this started three years ago according to the villagers. They began thinking that it was a curse and each night their bodies became that of monsters. I don't know what exactly Moon Drip does, but it sounds like something that isn't to be messed around with. Is it some sort of Anti-Magic Magic? If so, then that would explain why Gardevoir couldn't break the Iced Shell._ He thought and mentally began drawing a diagram in his head. It was sound reasoning, but there was something missing and Rex couldn't put his finger on it.

"Why do we have to wait so long? This kinda crap is boring!" Natsu complained and shot out a stream of fire.

"Keep your voice down Natsu! You know what they said. This Moon Drip spell will only work at night, so that means we'll have to wait until that time." Lucy explained, but by the time she finished he was suddenly sprawled on his back sleeping soundly.

"...That is... I have no words to described that." Gardevoir admitted, dumbfounded.

"That's Natsu for yah!" Happy chimed and he too eventually fell asleep.

Rex sat down and was glad to get some peace and quiet from the Dragon Slayers loud mouth. It also allowed him to clear his mind and seek out a Plate. He sent out invisible wavelengths like a radar to hone in on any nearby Plates and received quite a shock. Apparently there were 5 of the same Plate dotted around the caves and it was the Icicle Plate. Ice... not a bad type, but certainly not one of his favourites.

"Any luck?" Gardvoir asked.

"The Icicle Plate is here. Unfortunately when I tried using my senses it said that there were 5 of the same Plate somewhere in this cave system. Probably the cave refracted its signal, so we'll have to do it the old fashioned way." Rex said grimly and Gardevoir couldn't help notice his disappointment.

As Gray sat down, he began remembering when he started his training with Ur.

_Gray looked no older than child of about 8 and was facing his mentor. She was a woman of average height with a slim, curvaceous figure. She had short dark purple hair that was kept at chin length. This clothing consisted of a tan jacket with a black collar, jeans and a red tank top. "Well, Gray?" She asked with a smile. "Training won't be easy. Do you think you can keep up with me?" _

_Gray looked right back at her with determination in his eyes. "I will, no matter what it takes!" He declared._

Lucy was getting bored, so she decided to summon one of her Celestial Spirits to keep her company for the time being. She pulled out a silver key with a harp on it and said. "**Open: Gate of the Lyre - Lyra!**" She chanted and a bell sound was made.

Lyra appeared to be a young girl. She had waist length hair that curls at the end, and wears a pink bonnet on top of her head. Her cheeks have round blush marks, and she wears a long dress with heart prints by her waist. She wears leather shoes as well. She has small white wings and a large harp on her back. "It feels good to be summoned, even though I can only be summoned a few times a month." Lyra said and her wings fluttered.

"Why not renegotiate a contract?" Rex asked rhetorically.

"So what should I sing?" Lyra asked and she set her harp down in front of her.

"Anything that comes to mind." Lucy replied before Happy, now awake, could request a song about fish. Rex walked over and sat down closer. He wanted to hear her too and wondered if her song would have Magical properties. But then he thought of Lullaby and nearly laughed in horror, and stopped when Lyra began playing her harp.

_"Words are born into air... And quickly fade out in the wind... But they find their way inside of you... And live on forevermore..."_ Lyra began to sang and everyone didn't dare make a sound. To Rex it sounded like the most beautiful song in the world and he closed his eyes, remembering some of his travels as a trainer. Gardevoir was stunned at such a beautiful voice and she couldn't even say how good it was.

_"When the skies are dark and full of rain... Look inside your heart... A light so warm and all alone... Shining just like the sun..."_ Lyra carried on and Gray began to cry as he remembered his training with Ur alongside another boy. He had light blue hair that spiked up and wider eyes in comparison to Gray. Then he remembered the first time he successfully used Ice Make: Shield.

_"You can see just how much you've grown... How strong you are... A love will open up with you... And it starts from the day that you..."_ Lyra paused as she regained her breath for a moment. _"First heard those words."_ She concluded, lowering her hands to show that she had finished. Gray shook slightly and Rex never knew that her songs had that effect.

"Gray..?" Lucy asked with some uncertainty.

"I'm not crying." Gray said, louder than he really wanted to say it.

"Of course you're not." Rex said gently, smiling in sympathy for Gray. The song also made him tired and thought about how it was such a sweet sounding lullaby. Rex let out a brief chuckle at the irony of that thought just before falling asleep.

**Several hours later...**

They were jolted awake by a sudden shaking motion with the exception of Natsu. "What was that?" Happy asked and then everyone saw a beam of light coming down from above and hitting the encased demon.

"Now appears to be an excellent time to sneak up top and see what exactly is going on. Come on Natsu." Rex indicated and the pink haired Mage nodded in agreement. They were all hiding behind a large cluster of rocks with a small hole in the middle. Happy peeked through the hole as new was tall enough, whereas the others had to lean from the side of the hole. A group of hooded figures stood chanting around a red Magic circle and a pillars of light pinkish light was being channelled through a coffin looking object that was a light blue.

Rex gasped lightly. There was no doubting it. "The Icicle Plate! But what are those figures doing there?" He wondered quietly to avoid giving away their presence.

"This is Moon Drip." Lyra pointed to that pillar of light. "It's an ancient kind of Magic that can nullify any Magic spell no matter how strong." She explained.

"I thought so. Who's that?" Rex frowned as he saw a different figure with a helmet on that only showed the mouth, and it had two small tusks at the sides. The figure sported a large white cape, with a wide collar, golden edges and fur trimmings over the shoulders, held closed by belt, adorned by a stylized snake with rectangular coils, and its corresponding buckle, with more belts and buckles, placed a few centimeters away from one another and below the first, being left untied.

Below this cape, Reitei wore a blue, high-collared tunic with golden edges, reaching down below his knees, with the part coming down from below the simple belt tied around his waist having an opening in the front. The tunic sported a large, dark cross-like design on the back, and is worn over a dark shirt.

The trio from earlier approached and Yuka reported. "Nothing, no sign of the intruders. Probably just one of those demons from the village. There's one right here." He said with a smirk.

"I told you I ain't one of those demons!" Toby retorted.

"Reitei-sama, what shall we do?" Sherry asked, ignoring the two other boys as they continued their argument.

Reitei paused to think for a moment before smirking and he turned to face Sherry.

"Those villagers have been irritating for far too long. You must destroy it now, we cannot afford another setback at this crucial moment. We're close to reviving Deliora." He said and Gray stopped. Somehow the voice seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"How much longer?" Sherry asked overdramatically.

"Thanks to this artefact, a few hours at most. Even tonight if nothing disturbs us. Even if they directly challenge me, this relic amplifies my magic by enough to deal with anyone.

"For your love, Reitei Lyon." Sherry replied and Gray nearly gasped in surprise.

_LYON?!_ Gray thought, even more dumbfounded.

* * *

**At sea, a few hours earlier...**

There was a ship at sea. Just one ship, but if anyone else saw it they would turn back as quickly as possible because it was heading towards Galuna Island. Nobody even thought about asking why the captain of said boat would think of going there. If anyone stopped to listen they would be surprised to hear next to nothing coming from the boat, which was due to the fact that a certain scarlet haired Mage had hijacked the boat and forced the captain to take her there.

"Why would you in your right mind even go there?" The captain asked cautiously.

"That's none of your concern." Erza replied sharply as she looked towards the Island. "There are people there who have broken the rules, and as a result must be punished."

* * *

**Back on Galuna Island, present time...**

Everyone hiding, bar Lyra as she returned to the Celestial Spirit World, was startled and angered at this. Natsu predictably had had enough and jumped up and shouted, "If your looking for the intruders, then we're right here!" Blowing out a large flame. The trio who had started to go and destroy the village then stopped and turned to face the group.

"So much for stealth." Gardevoir said, not too upset.

Natsu began charging towards Reitei Lyon, but Gray beat him to the punch, or ice as he began freezing the ground and directed it at Lyon. "Stopped this half-baked ceremony right _now_ Lyon!" He ordered. Lyon merely raised his left arm and ice began forming in a similar way and the two attacks met. After a tense moment both displays of ice shattered into many pieces.

"He uses Ice too?" Happy cried, bewildered.

"It's been too long, Gray." Lyon said with a smirk on his face and turned to Yuka, Sherry and Toby. "Don't just stand there, you know what to do." Lyon reminded and they began to move again. Natsu tried to attack them with a flaming fist but all of a sudden his body was encased in a ball of ice.

"What the hell?" Natsu shouted and used some fire to try and melt of it.

"Stop this nonsense right now!" Gray said, anger still evident within him.

Lyon tutted. "Nonsense? What about you?" He asked in an insulting tone.

"Happy... grab Lucy and help the village. Don't worry about me." Gray ordered and Happy nodded in response, fighting Lucy, much to her shock.

"Wait a second! What about Natsu?" Lucy cried and was startled to see that Happy was crying as well.

"If we stay here and die, who's going to protect the village?" Happy cried.

"Don't think like that! ...Natsu's going to be okay." Lucy replied in an effort to calm him down. One of the only other times the cat had shown genuine concern for Natsu was during the search for Daybreak when Natsu decided to try and take on two members of the Southern Wolf guild on his own.

Natsu tried hobbling towards Lyon but Gray stopped him and kicked the Dragon Slayer off the top of the mountain. Before Natsu could curse Gray his motion sickness kicked in.

_What the hell Gray? This is ridiculous. Still, as long as that Plate is there... _Rex thought and then shouted "Gardevoir, get the Plate and rendezvous at the village!"

Gardevoir nodded once and teleported right next to the Moon Drip light then used Psychic to fling the guards away and grab the light blue Plate which felt unsurprisingly cold. Lyon was about to use his Ice Make on her but she teleported away in the nick of time. Rex looked over and saw that it had weakened, but it didn't look like it was enough to stop Deliora's revival completely. But for now Gardevoir had bought them time and Lyon briefly looked surprise under that helmet, before taking it off. He has light blue hair that spiked up, and some of it hung down over his face, which had a blank but amused expression.

At the bottom of the mountain, Natsu was doing his best to try and melt the ice that was surrounding him. He growled and used another blast of fire, but still couldn't melt it no matter how hot he made his fire. "Damnit, Gray!" He shouted and began wobbling forwards in an attempt to get to the village.

Meanwhile back at the top of the mountain, Lyon stood facing Rex and Gray with a smirk. "Gray, still one step behind me as usual I see... You have a lot of nerve showing your face after what happened." He taunted, knowing it would get him worked up.

Gray's eyes twitched. "Stop this ceremony right now Lyon. Don't you remember what Ur wanted us to do?" He asked and Lyon got angry.

"You have some nerve mentioned her when you know what you did to her!" Lyon shot back and unleashed his Ice Make Magic at Gray. Rex activated the Flame Plate and tackled Gray, saving them both from the ice, which shattered after it failed to hit its target. He cut it too fine, as he listened and began to wonder what it exactly.

"I see you're not ready to admit your guilt. You killed her Gray!" Lyon declared, anger seething from his eyes.

Rex gasped and turned to Gray in shock. "Is this true Gray?"

Gray didn't say anything for a while before standing up. "One day after my training with Ur I heard several people talking about Deliora and I demanded to know. Then I challenged it to fight, but Ur said that I wasn't ready yet. We had a row then I went on ahead anyway to find Deliora. I was outmatched, but she saved me and eventually sacrificed herself. But that gives you no right to trample over everything she worked for!" He shot back fiercely.

Lyon didn't reply but raised his hand to perform a spell. "**Ice Make: Eagle!**" He said as a volley of birds made of ice appeared from an ice blue Seal, heading towards Gray.

But the raven haired Mage reacted quickly and spread his hands out in front of him. "**Ice Make: Shield!**" He responded and created a large shield with a spiked edge.

Lyon tutted. "Have you forgotten Gray? I used Dynamic Ice Make, whereas yours is Static. My creations can move!" He declared and the eagles swerved around the shield.

This time, Rex was ready for it. "**Flame Charge!**" He chanted as he was cloaked in fire and began smashing as many birds as he could. However some of them managed to hit Gray, who looked startled.

"Our master taught us that one handed creations have bad balance!" Gray said, glaring fiercely at Lyon. Then he placed his fist in the palm of his hand and mist began forming. "**Ice Make: Hammer!**" Gray chanted and summoned an icy mallet and swung from above.

"...I think you'll find that I am the exception Gray, I have surpassed Ur long ago." He replied carelessly as he raised his hand again. "**Ice Make: Ape!**" Lyon responded to Gray's second challenge and created an ape that was almost twice as large as Garchomp and blocked the Hammer blow with only part of its arms being cracked. "**Ice Make: Snow Dragon!**" A tall wingless dragon appeared and was heading for Gray but Rex jumped out in front of him and took the brunt of the attack. He was sent rolling backwards and almost fell over but jumped up and forwards.

"Rex!" Gray shouted. "What the hell are you planning Lyon!"

"I wanted to surpass Our but you destroyed him long ago and my dream was ruins for a while. However I've discovered a new way of making this dream a reality. But freeing and defeating Deliora, something Ur could never do!" Lyon declared with a smile.

Gray stood there, dumbfounded. "You're insane, you'll never be able to defeat Deliora!" He shouted.

Lyon's eyes widened in fury. "Isn't that what Ur said to you?" He replied and blasted a wave of ice at Gray. "Isn't that what Ur said to you Gray?!" Lyon continued to blast away at Gray until Rex got in the way again and the force of the impact threw him forwards. "AND WHAT HAPPENED? SHE DIED!" Lyon roared and he sent a final wave of ice at Gray and Rex, sending the pair of them over the edge, crashing through the forest. All the time, Gray realised that Rex wasn't making any sound. He was thinking about the two of them had argued over and was making sense of the events.

They looked up and saw a figure towering over them, but it was Natsu who was still encased in Lyon's ice. "What were you doing?" Rex asked, expecting him to be somewhere else.

"I was trying to go to the village but I kept climbing until I found a place that overlooked the village and I heard some of what happened between you and that guy." Natsu replied and Gray then fell unconscious. When he regained consciousness he saw that he was being carried by Natsu, with Rex following him from behind. Gray took this moment and began to realise that him arguing with Natsu about this S-Class mission was exactly the same as when he argued with Ur about Deliora. It made him feel like a massive hypocrite and he began to cry.

"Natsu..." Gray called. "I'm in no position to judge you for what you did."

Natsu was fed up. "Don't gimme any of that weepy crap! Fairy Tail is a guild who doesn't know when to call it quits!" He shouted and began pelting as best as he could towards the village. Gray opened his eyes in shock at this attitude.

"I think it's because he reminds you of himself after Igneel disappeared." Rex pointed out in a low voice.

* * *

**Galuna Village, with Lucy and co...**

Lucy, Happy and Gardevoir were in the village, informing the local residents of what was going on. "So this is where we are now. A group of people are coming towards the village and intend to destroy it. What exactly is that?" She asked Gardevoir, now that she had finished speaking to the villagers.

"The Icicle Plate. It would appear that Lyon and his friends were channelling the Moon Drip through the Icicle Plate to increase it's effectiveness. Clever." Gardevoir admitted in spite of herself. "Shouldn't we find a way to stop those three from destroying the village?"

Lucy began thinking and after a moment grinned as she had an idea and began to search through her keys. Picking out a Gold Key, she chanted. "**Open: Gate of the Maiden - Virgo!**" Virgo appeared, and was still looking like a maiden. She stared at Lucy inquisitively, and many of the local villagers were impressed but what happened.

"How may I be of service, Princess?" Virgo asked and Lucy told her the plan. The 'plan' actually consisted of Virgo digging a large hole by the entrance to the gates and Lucy covering up the hole to make it look like part of the ground, and when Yuka, Toby and Sherry came charging in they would be let through the gates and fall in.

"Lucy, I have to say one thing. Are you sure about this?" Happy frowned, as she watched Virgo digging the hole. "Because I don't think they'll fall for that."

"Of course there's nothing wrong, you stupid cat!" Lucy shouted in what felt like a very knee-jerk reaction to his comment.

"I concur with Happy. There's nothing wrong with it, except for the fact that no one will fall for it. They would have to be an idiot." Gardevoir added and Virgo finished the hole.

"Do you want to punish me Princess?" Virgo asked as she held her shovel over her shoulder.

Lucy shook her head as she covered the hole with straw, grass and other things that were lying on the ground near her. "Have some faith. Have I ever been wrong?" She asked whilst giving the pair a death glare. Neither Happy nor Gardevoir wanted to answer that and there was an awkward silence until a banging noise just on the other side of the gate and Lucy grinned to see that her plan would work.

She lost that grin completely as she saw the people who were on the other side. "Natsu?" She cried and realised that her plan had just been dashed.

"Gardevoir!" Rex called in delight but didn't step forwards, because of Lucy. Natsu looked in front of him on the ground and the walked onto the pitfall with a hard step. Everyone bar Natsu, Gray and Rex jumped in shock as he fell down into the hole and a shattering sound was heard. Taking a slight step forwards Rex noted that the block of ice encasing Natsu had shattered upon impact.

"WHAT THE HE- this thing's off of me?" He asked, forgetting to be angry for a moment.

"Oh, um just like a planned!" Lucy said desperately but Gardevoir knew she couldn't hide her embarrassment. She saw that Rex looked injured and came over.

"Are you okay?" She asked with concern.

"I'm fine. After all isn't Ice resisted by Fire? Gray is the one you should be attending to." Rex pointed out in a serious tone and Gardevoir nodded. She set Gray down gently in front of him and observed the wounds with the help of Psychic. Gray suffered from moderate injuries as evidence by the blood running down from his head but it wasn't serious and she knew what to do.

"Stand back." Gardevoir ordered in a firm tone. She formed a gentle pink orb in her hand and began bathing the unconscious Gray in pink rays for about a minute before the move faded away. "I used Heal Pulse, but only to stop the bleeding from his head. Other than that, it's mostly minor injuries." She explained to a curious Happy.

"Cool! Why don't you just go round healing everyone!" He cried jumping up.

"Because doing that would take too much energy and I haven't got that amount!" Gardevoir pointed out crossly.

Moka came over and was looking put out. "Hmm hmm, I'm not concerned about our village being in danger, but how about getting around to destroying the Moon?" He asked.

Gardevoir was about reprimand him when she remembered something. "Rex, shouldn't you accept something right now?" She asked and he stared into space for a moment.

"Oh! Of course!" Rex said meekly and went over to the Icicle Plate. As he got closer he could feel the mental pull as it begged him to embrace it and acquire the Ice type. He stopped and stared for a moment before grabbing it with both hands. The Plate flashed three times and disappeared, and during that time Rex felt a cold wind rush through his body and began glowing an icy blue colour. When it faded, Rex had short spiky dark blue hair and red eyes. He wore a light blue shirt underneath a dark blue jacket that was fur lined around the collar and the end of the arms. He wore a pair of thick light blue trousers with several dark blue snowflakes on there as well as black hiking boots.

Many of the villagers hadn't seen this particular transformation and were stunned. Natsu walked over and looked at him. "What form is that?" He asked.

Rex smirked. "I can now use Ice moves. Nevermind that, what in the name of Arceus is _that?_" He asked looking towards the sky. Everyone saw a large rat moving towards the island by using its tail to fly in the air and Lucy got mad for the fact that they had avoided her trap. Gardevoir didn't bother saying that it wouldn't have worked regardless.

Yuka, Sherry and Toby stood up as they looked over the village. Angelica was smiling scarily as she held a bucket filled with a green looking liquid that swished slightly as she moved closer to the village. "The 2X Poison Jelly took longer than anticipated to finish." Yuka commented mildly.

"That's because our love for Reitei Lyon was interrupted by those foolish Mages, and they will pay dearly for that." Sherry added, looking depressed despite sounding triumphant.

"Uhhhnn." Toby grinned as he looked down at the village.

A drop of the green liquid fell as it sploshed around and landed in front of Rex. His eyes widened as there was a foul smelling odour and a hissing noise. When it stopped, part of the ground had disappeared. "Guys, this liquid is a very strong acid!" He pointed out, and found himself thinking that it was similar to Toxic. Which unfortunately wasn't such a good thing.

"Angelica my love, release the Jelly." Sherry said and the giant rat did so, making sure that all of the village would be hit.

"Everyone get to the center now!" Lucy shouted and people began panicking as they rushed as quickly as they could. Moka stood next to Bobo's grave, determined not to budge one inch. But Gardevoir used Psychic to carry him. "What are you doing?" She asked as she saw Rex climb the nearest watchtower.

Rex didn't respond verbally, but his look said watch and when he was high enough held his arms out and said "**Protect.**" A translucent turquoise shield appeared, covering everyone that stood within the inner rows of the houses. Everyone was anticipating that it would simply burn through the shield and was surprised to see it run down the side of the village. As a bonus, a way into the village was mercifully spared bar a small gap that one had to jump across.

"Phew." He said as he jumped down into the crowed who were amazed at what just happened.

"What was that?" Gray said, once again surprised.

Rex grinned, and Gardevoir decided to explain. "That move was Protect. With the exception of one or two moves, nothing can break through the shield. Detect and King's Shield are both variants of said move." She explained, smiling slightly at how they kept on seeing something that was impressive despite the fact that they can use Magic. It was just probably one of those things that would not stop.

"Oh and one more thing. I just remembered something Gardevoir." Rex said and Gardevoir looks puzzled. "When Arceus isn't using a Plate, he's the Normal type correct? So then if I'm not using Plate like now." At this, he changed back to normal. "Does this mean I am a Normal type as well and I can also use normal type moves?"

"I never even thought of that. I feel so stupid." Gardevoir said, feeling upset.

"Don't be. I didn't know either." Rex said, shaking his head and Gardevoir thought about how he was such a good Trainer. He rarely got angry at them for making a mistake and always encouraged them to keep practising until they got it right or were comfortable with a move. Gardevoir smiled.

Natsu was pissed at how the group had tried to destroyed the village because they had done nothing wrong. He along with Happy flew up to Angelica where fire gathered in both fists. "**Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!**" He shouted as a Seal appeared and he brought them together to create a massive fireball that wiped out Angelica and separated Sherry from Yuka and Toby.

"C'mon Lucy!" Rex said as Natsu and Happy returned. "We all gotta go and defeat them, then after that we'll stop Deliora and Lyon."

"I'm coming too." Gray declared but Natsu quickly punched him unconscious and a female demon carried Gray away, seeing as he needed to rest somewhere. She also took a liking to the raven haired Ice Make user.

"Wait, how are we going to do this?" Lucy asked, looking as if she had just come back to reality.

Gardevoir tapped her shoulder. "I'll come with you to fight Sherry. Rex and Natsu can handle the other two weirdos." She said reassuringly. Lucy liked the idea now that she wasn't going alone to fight someone and the four of them made their way out of the village. The two females broke off and headed towards the beach to find the pink haired Mage who constantly kept declaring her love.

Meanwhile Natsu, Happy and Rex kept running. "Damn, those guys are low. Destroying a village just because of a bunch of people from elsewhere were caught snooping around." Rex growled, but he couldn't help but feel conflicted inside. There was nothing inherently wrong with what Lyon wanted to do, that much was certain. But the way the light blue haired Mage was doing it was completely wrong. And if what he thought is correct then Lyon would be disappointed again, except this time it'll be his own fault. _Idiot, of course what he's doing is wrong! _Rex thought and slapped himself in the cheek.

They stopped when they saw Yuka and Toby in the clearing. A little shocked by the impact of Natsu's spell but still intact and mostly irritated by the fact that Natsu separated them from Sherry and Lyon. "You're gonna pay for what you did to Angelica. And we'll do it in less than fifteen minutes." Yuka said, irritated but managing to keep his cool.

"Yeah, so don't underestimate us!" Toby shouted.

"Relax Toby, they can't hit me with my Magic, and that leaves you free to attack them." Yuka stated confidently, and an annoying smirked crossed his face.

"I'd think twice before making any statements." Rex pointed out and decided to go for Toby and used Mach Punch. Toby jumped away with surprising agility, a fact that surprised Rex quite a bit. Now employing Quick Attack he kept going forwards and threw several punches but to no avail. Rex decided that the only way to land a hit was to use a move that would lower Toby's speed.

"**Forme Change - Icicle Plate.**" Rex said and he changed once again into the Ice Forme. Toby stopped and stared as he was curious as to this unique Magic. It never occurred to him that he had just been baited into standing still as Rex gathered blue sparks within his mouth. "**Icy Wind.**" He said and blew a gust of cold air over a wide enough area and some of it frosted over due to the sudden change in temperature.

"Arrroo? You tryin' to blow me to death?" Toby said, chuckling and not realising that he was slower.

"Ever heard of strategy, idiot?" Rex replied, acting cocky.

An angered Toby extended his claws in response. "Oh yeah? Well good luck avoiding these Super Paralysis Jellyfish Claws because they can paralyse with just one touch!" He said hotly and began his assault.

When Rex was busy dealing with Toby, Natsu made his move and rushed towards the still Yuka. "**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!**" Natsu chanted and a flaming fist was heading straight for Yuka.

Yuka's response was to hold out out a hand a light blue barrier formed to protect him from the attack. In addition to protecting him it also appeared to have nullified Natsu's fire as well. "Don't bother. My Wave Magic makes me untouchable, so I suggest you give up!" Yuka taunted.

"No way, **Fire Dragon's Roar!**" Natsu shouted and shot a stream of fire from his mouth. But as with before it was deflected and nullified.

Yuka continued. "See? No spell can harm me. If you surrender now I'll be merciful." He taunted and that irritated Natsu even further.

"Any member of Fairy Tail would never quit, not even if a job or a fight could kill us. So we keep going forwards!" Natsu retorted and Yuka briefly thought about a Guild he was in, and it was not unlike Fairy Tail, but he dismissed those thoughts.

Natsu them ran forwards without enhancing his fist and punched the blue shield. As he kept pushing he began to feel an electric shock that steadily grew in intensity. Happy was not sure as to whether he should interfere or not because Natsu could end up with a serious injury.

"That's another thing. Even if you make it through the shock from the shield will force you unconscious.** Wave Rush**." Yuka chanted and unleashed three bursts of his Wave Magic at point blank towards Natsu. Each one sent him tumbling backwards and Natsu kept going until he bumped into a blue haired Rex.

They looked at each other for a moment and Rex asked. "Wanna swap?" Natsu remembered something about what Yuka said related to his Wave Magic and grinned. That was all the confirmation Rex needed and he smiled too as he turned to face Yuka. "Looks like I'm going to beat you now." Rex informed the blue haired Mage who frowned for a moment and broke into a smile.

"Your Take Over certainly is different, but that won't help you. I can still nullify it with my Wave." Yuka declared arrogantly.

Rex decided to change and use the Zap Plate, and Yuka made no attempt to stop him due to his fatal mistake. Rex brought his hand together and began forming a yellow orb of electricity and he then threw the Electro Ball at Yuka, who used his Wave Shield once again.

When it started passing through his Shield, Yuka gasped and jumped to one side in time and the ball crashed into a tree, leaving a hole in the middle of the trunk. "But how?" Yuka cried, unable to comprehend what just happened.

"Simple. This is more than just a Take Over, it is Multitype! **Volt Tackle!**" Rex shouted and ran forward, surrounded by electricity. Yuka made the wrong decision to stay there and felt the full force of the attack as he went through several trees.

Natsu dodged several of Toby's lunges and attacked once more with Fire Dragon's Iron Fist. This time he landed a hit, thanks to the speed drop provided by Icy Wind. "Hey pal." Natsu said.

"Huh?" Toby asked.

"You've got something on your forehead here." Natsu then placed a hand and his forehead and Toby did the same, unaware of the fact that his claws were extended and as a result paralysed himself.

Toby gasped. "You... Tricked... Me..." He said slowly.

"That's because you're an idiot." Natsu said and the two of them ran ahead towards the temple. Their priority was now stopping Lyon and preventing Deliora from awakening. Rex was determined to get back at Lyon for their last match despite the recoil damage and was much more confident thanks to the Special Attack boost he gained from unlocking the Ice type.

* * *

**Elsewhere, Lucy and Gardevoir**

They kept walking for a while, with Gardevoir helping out on occasion when the pair of them came across a tricky obstacle in their path until they found themselves, along with Sherry, and the area around them suggested they were getting close to a beach. As the two of them got closer they could see that Sherry was crying and approached cautiously. "Oh! Every time I try to impress my Lyon, he never responds to my love!" She cried poetically.

Lucy sweatdropped and said, "Sometimes I wonder why."

Sherry caught that last bit and got up, clearly angered by the comment. "Perhaps if I eliminate you then my beloved Lyon will love me!" She declared, and at the same time she was having a fantasy about the two of them. Next thing she knew Sherry was against a tree and her back was hurting. She looked up just in time to see Gardevoir and her glowing blue eyes fade away.

"Did you really have to use Psychic, or whatever that move was called?" Lucy said nervously.

"Yes, she was daydreaming." Gardevoir replied, doing well not to show her irritation.

"**Doll Attack: Wood Doll.**" Sherry muttered and a nearby tree sprang to life with two hollow eyes and a nose appearing on the trunk. Several long thorny vines surrounded it as arms and the tree allowed Sherry to climb onto it. "Now attack with your love." She commanded and as it used the vines they stopped suddenly and were tied up in knots.

"Did you really think that would work against a Psychic user?" Gardevoir asked with some slight amusement in her voice.

"No matter." Sherry replied dreamily and created several more tree dolls that began targeting Gardevoir, and a volley of vine whips were sent her way. Gardevoir jumped into the air and landed on a tree branch. The tree attempted to shake her off but all it got was a Moonblast that ripped through the trunk in a not so straight line that affected the structure to the point where it could no longer support itself and it fell over.

"It's not over yet. **Shadow Ball.**" Gardevoir said and a purple ball with a black center appeared. She then waited for a moment and then threw it, stopping an attack from the vines but more came through and wrapped themselves around her arm. "Help me Lucy!" She cried as she was tossed around and slammed against the ground.

Lucy was busy fending off the tree Sherry was sat on with her whip. After managing to put some distance between them she pulled out one of her Golden Zodiac Keys. "**Open: Gate of the Golden Bull - Taurus!**" She chanted, but Sherry seemed unperturbed.

"Time to get mooovin!" Taurus yelled as he was pumped at being summoned.

"Get her!" Lucy commanded and Taurus began charging towards the tree.

Sherry only smiled. "You're a Celestial Spirit Wizard? Unfortunately for you, I can also control them." She said, smirking as Taurus stopped when he was almost there and then slumped as if he had just been given an order. Lucy gasped.

Gardevoir wasn't faring much better either as they took turns slamming her into the ground. Each time she was getting more and more fed up to the point of getting angry, which was a rare occurrence for her. "I... Said..." She began mid slam, and she opened her eyes which burst a bright blue. "..._STOP!_" She shouted and unleashed a powerful wave of psychic energy that ripped the trees into several pieces, defeating them instantly. "Those things are worse than Trevenant." She observed and hurried back to Lucy.

The blonde Mage was initially frightened when she saw Taurus running towards her, but Lucy's instincts kicked in and she managed to avoid it. Had she stayed there she'd most likely be split in two. "Taurus, stop doing this!" She begged.

"I'm trying tooooo! But I can't mooove my body! The only way to doooo so is to force my gate to close." Taurus responded desperately and took several more swings at her, each appearing closer than the last time. Gardevoir would've helped to but fell flat on her face courtesy of the tree, and she could only watch on in horror.

"My love is stronger than yours, and my Magic is too." Sherry boasted.

She gasped when Lucy slipped, and Gardevoir could sense her fear and panic easily. Lucy fell on her back and in desperation she shouted "I'm begging you Taurus, please go back! Don't forget out contract!" The axe was several inches from her face when it stopped abruptly. Everyone was surprised at this and the eerie pink glow in Taurus's eyes faded and his body began glowing a golden colour.

"Thank you, Lucy." Taurus said calmly and Gardevoir relieved that Lucy was safe. She could only dread to think what Rex would say to her had the Celestial Wizard been split in two.

"No way... I performed a **Forced Gate Closure**?" Lucy said, still shocked. Sherry was too and Gardevoir used that confusion to get up and get revenge by using a close range Moonblast at the tree, narrowly missing Sherry but caught her by surprise.

"No matter. If I can't get a hold of your Spirit, then I'll use my **Doll Attack: Puppeteer** on her." Sherry declared and thin glowing strings extended in an attempt to take control of Gardevoir.

Gardevoir tutted. "Attempting mind control on someone who controls a battle with their mind. Not a smart move. It wouldn't work on Aggron either. We aren't Celestial Spirits." As if to confirm her statement, she didn't move or make any attempt to attack Lucy, and Sherry looked on nervously, undecided.

Gardevoir grabbed Lucy's hand. "Come on, if we make it to the beach there shouldn't be anyone or anything for her to control." She said and Lucy nodded in agreement. They ran as fast as they could, but Gardevoir's injuries weren't as good as she had hoped they were. Nevertheless the two of them persisted until they came closer to the ocean.

"**Doll Attack: Rock Doll.**" Sherry said and was sitting on top of a large doll made of rocks that stood above both Gardevoir and Lucy. It picked up a rock and threw it at them. Lucy froze up in fear, expecting the worst. But Gardevoir held the boulder in place and flung it away using Psychic.

"Stand back." Gardevoir ordered with determination and took a deep breath. "**Hyper Voice!**" She shouted and as she held her shout expanding transparent ring appeared, amplifying the sound of her voice, and both Sherry and her Rock Doll flinched and took a couple of steps backwards.

"I got it!" Lucy said as she pulled out another Zodiac Key. "**Open: Gate of The Water Bearer - Aquarius!**" Another bell rang and this time Gardevoir saw a blue haired mermaid carrying an urn.

"Oh? Did you forget that I can control Celestial Spirits. **Doll Attack: Puppeteer!**" Sherry declared as she took control of Aquarius. "Now attack her!" She ordered but was in for a nasty shock.

"Duh, I do that anyway and no feather brained love dope is gonna order me!" Aquarius roared in response and flooded the battlefield with her giant urn, catching everyone participating in the battle. When the wave of water subsided, Gardevoir got back up first. The Rock Doll had been more or less wiped out with only his head remaining. Everything was scattered either too far to call upon or out at sea.

"Don't you think you should her more respect?" Gardevoir asked wearily and Aquarius turned to face her, an angry look on her face.

"Oh and I suppose a bridesmaid is going to lecture me? You're lucky I was in the middle of a date with my boyfriend!" She snapped before disappearing back to Celestial Spirit World. Gardevoir was surprised by her flippant attitude towards women.

Sherry was dumbfounded, and this allowed Lucy to boast a little. "Aquarius attack friends and foe alike. It seems odd, but she's a really powerful Spirit!"

Sherry glared at Lucy. "It would appear I've underestimated both of you. But my love will ultimately prevail in the end!" Sherry declared as she anticipated that Lucy would summon a Celestial Spirit again.

This time Lucy took out a silver Gate Key. "**Open: Gate of the Canis Minor - Nikora!**" She chanted, summoning Plue. Sherry took control, but fumed as she realised that Plue was a weak spirit and could do nothing against the two of them.

She released her control over him. "It was a trick." She said, angered at first and with no alternative she and Lucy began getting into what could only be described as a rather comical cat fight with each trying to smack each other harder. It ultimately culminated in Lucy slamming her arm into Sherry, defeating her and she fell unconscious onto the sand.

A shadow then fell over them and the two of them realised it was Angelica who managed to summon enough strength to crawl over and the giant rat tipped forwards in an attempt to crush them. Gardevoir shut her eyes, expecting to hear a terrible squishing noise but opened them quickly when she heard a slashing sound and looked up. "Gallade?" She asked, but then realised who it really was and began to tremble slightly.

Erza, in her Heart Kreuz Armour, had defeated Angelica, and right now she was looking anything but happy. Speaking of which, the blue feline cams to check on them and had gasped when he saw Erza, then tried running away but she was too fast for him and Lucy began to panic as well, more so than Gardevoir. "Where are Natsu, Rex and Gray?" She demanded coldly, and the sun began rising in the background.

Lucy gulped and began speaking quickly. "Well you see Natsu knocked Gray out cold and when we got to the island we found a Demon that Gray knew from his past and then his former partner was also on the island trying to revive Deliora and then he beat Gray badly and Rex found a Plate-"

Erza cut her off. "I'm not interested. Where are the others?" She demanded of the three of them.

"We split up, so I have no idea where Natsu and Rex are but Gray is resting in the village after his fight with Lyon. Are you helping us?" Gardevoir asked slowly.

"I have no intention of helping you." Erza replied as she narrowed her eyes. "I'm here to find the rule breakers. You have betrayed the Master's trust and I can guarantee that you will not go unscathed." She added chillingly, sending a shiver up Gardevoir's spine.

Several hours later when it was lighter and the sun was up, Gray woke and looked around. He briefly began wondering what he was doing and then it hit him. Natsu had knocked him unconscious and from the sounds of things they had left him to rest up. "When I get to you flame brain you are so dead!" Gray shouted. After putting his clothes on, Gray began looking in several tents and flinched when he saw Erza glaring at her. Lucy, Gardevoir and Happy were all tied up and the latter was crying out of fear.

"I suppose you're having fun partaking in the mission?" She asked in a hard tone. "Find Natsu and Rex, then we can leave."

Gray was shocked. "Erza, what about the village? It's cursed and..."

Erza cut him off by saying, "I don't care."

Gray was stunned then he began shouting. "Oh and I suppose it's okay to let them suffer while nobody attempts to help them?! Listen Erza, when Rex found out he had broken a rule he was prepared to go back to the guild. But the reason he came here was not for the reward - it was so he could help the people suffering."

"That doesn't justify the fact that you stole a job request. We are leaving." Erza said firmly, as if that was that.

Gray shook his head. "I think I've misjudged you Erza. You can leave with Happy and Lucy but I'm staying here."

Erza got offended by that and summoned a sword, holding it at his throat. Lucy and Happy were shocked at how Gray was standing up to Erza and the raven haired Mage didn't flinch. "If you choose to break the rules, I can assure you you _won't_ get away with it." She said.

"Erza... this is the path I've chosen." Gray said calmly.

After taking several moments to consider she got up. "Very well. I'll help you on the condition that you listen to me no matter what." Erza said and she untied the three of them. "So where are Natsu and Rex?" As she spoke the pair of them were waking up and running towards the temple, with the intent to defeat Lyon and stop the ritual.

* * *

**With Lyon**

At the temple, Toby and Lyon were in an area that was frozen over with ice and the two of them were discussing his and Yuka's defeat. Lyon was currently sitting on what appeared to be a makeshift throne as he was listening to Toby.

"I've seen no sign of Sherry, but Angelica briefly tried to avenge her but someone stopped her from doing so. Y-you're not gonna tell anyone else are you?" Toby said and he began to panic at the prospect of being humiliated.

"...it does not matter Toby. Find Yuka and Sherry, I'm more than capable of handling the mages from Fairy Tail. I will not allow Gray to interfere any longer!" Lyon said coldly and Toby hurried from the room.

Another man crept into the room, and he looked shorter too. He wore a dark beige cloak and wore a mask over his face that was mainly maroon and had black holes for eyes surrounded by some sort of light green fur. There were also numerous small horn protrusions on the mask as well and his mouth wasn't covered by the mask. "I'm surprised you haven't realised that the mighty Titania has descended upon the island yet." He said, startling Lyon.

"It does not matter Zalty, the ritual is almost complete. It would've of been had not the white haired Take Over Mage stolen my artefact. Next time I fight Gray, I will not hesitate to kill him." Lyon dismissed, though the idea of facing the mighty Erza Scarlet still lingered within his mind.

"If you fight, then I will join as well. I have a very unique kind of Lost Magic." Zalty said confidently and Lyon was curious as to what it was.

That curiosity didn't last long as the temple began quaking and shaking violently and Lyon saw a blast of fire come from beneath and felt the temple tilt to one side. "It's not that had to do accidental collateral damage but I never knew how fun it was." Natsu said from below as he grinned, but not until his motion sickness kicked in and he began lying on the floor.

Lyon didn't recognise the second person initially. He had maroon coloured hair that looked no different from when it was white, with the exception that it was slightly longer and some of it fell between his brown eyes. He wore a used, dusty dark brown coat with thick grey shoulder and elbow pads as well as a red bandana around his neck. On his hands were a pair of black gloves and wore a similar pair of trousers to match the coat. His boots looked worn but at the same time had a firmness about them that suggested they were still useful.

"What did you do?" Lyon said angrily.

"Simple, if the light can't shine on Deliora then it won't be revived. A combination of Earthquake and Natsu's Dragon Slayer Magic is pretty potent." The maroon haired person said and Lyon recognised it as the Take Over mage from before. Rex didn't gloat for long though, as barely a minute passed before it began shaking back into place again. "Oh come on!" He shouted, irritated.

Zalty smirked. "I don't see any problems, so I'll just use my Magic to speed up the process and revive Deliora. Then once you beat the boy you can defeat Deliora." He said loudly, before slipping away and Lyon relished the thought that his time was at hand.

Natsu looked pissed off on the other hand. "What did you say?" He growled and launched at Lyon with a Fire Dragon's Iron Fist. Lyon merely responded with an Ice Make: Freeze. A light blue seal appeared along with a fiery orange one and the two attacks clashed together, creating a large amount of steam, and Rex went ahead to pursue Zalty. He decided to go straight for the area Deliora was being held, if Zalty could actually free Deliora then it could be chaotic.

Something made Rex think. Hang on a minute. Gardevoir could do nothing to the ice, so what chance does this guy have? Unless it has to do with his Magic, he can't speed up the process can he? He thought and quickened the pace.

* * *

**Alright now is a good place as any to stop, I will explain several things.**

**The Icicle Plate: **I think that it would work because although Ice moves usually create Ice, but Moon Drip forces it to do the opposite for some reason. Moon Drip is more or less Anti-Magic, so instead of using it too freeze, it would increase the rate at which the Iced Shell would melt.

**Sherry Not Controlling Gardevoir:** The reason this would never happen is because she can only control inanimate objects and Celestial Spirits - so it's effectively a Magic against nonmagical creature if you get what I'm saying. Even if she could Gardevoir could easily resist mind control.

**Wave Magic Not Affecting Rex:** Similar reasons to the above point, Rex's power cannot be nullified, which is what Wave Magic is. It _can_ however be reflected, since that doesn't directly involve Magic, it affects the area around the user.

**The Ground Plate: **I decided to skip the scene where he unlocks the Plate and simply introduce him with it on.

**Next time on Guardian Fairy - The Demon of Destruction**

**As things begin to hot up on Galuna Island, Gray decides to settle the score with Lyon. But what Magic is Zalty capable of, and is there more to Iced Shell than meets the eye?**


	6. The Demon of Destruction (Galuna Finale)

**Notice: I want everyone to read this chapter and then tell me what they think I should do. Changeling? Or Natsu and the Dragon Egg? I'm more inclined to do the latter because I can work with it to build Rex from the ground up, but Changeling also gives me a few ideas as well. What do you think? Okay, with that out of the way, it's time for more responses to reviews.**

**Matt: **It's actually better this way because Sherry would expect Lucy to summon another fighting spirit like Cancer instead of Plue. Learn to think before making statements like that.

**ultima-owner: **Yeah it's pretty sad, but Arc of Time is still a cool Magic, even more so Post Time Skip. Which reminds me... What would happen if Dialga and Ultear got into a fight? Two people who can more or less control time duking it out. I predict a paradox.

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark:** Well I'm glad you liked it. The hardest part about this is coming up with the designs for each Plate, so I sometimes look online at gijinka pictures for inspiration.

**Previously on Guardian Fairy -**

**Rex:** You won't believe what happened Father! I managed to find two Plates - The Icicle Plate and Earth Plate. Technically three considering I forgot about Normal type. Ahem... during that time we found out that Gray's fellow pupil Lyon was responsible for what was going on and that he wanted to resurrect Deliora so he could defeat him! Although Gray and I initially lost we didn't give up and Natsu and I went towards the temple. Despite being delayed slightly by Lyon's partners Yuka and Toby, we made it and Natsu predictably got into a fight. I followed another guy called Zalty and headed straight for Deliora.

**Gardevoir: **Meanwhile Ancient One Lucy and I went after the other member of Lyon's group, some really creepy girl called Sherry who appeared to be in love with Lyon. Although we triumphed, we could have easily been squashed were it not for Erza, though she didn't appear happy with what we had done. However it took Gray to convince her to help - and normally he wets himself at the mere mention of the name. By the looks of things they are all coming to a head.

* * *

**Chapter 6 - The Demon of Destruction**

**Outside the temple, with Gray and co.**

Gray and the others quickly began heading for the temple when they gathered Gardevoir and Lucy. "What I don't get is, why is Lyon doing this? Releasing a demon that destroys everything, what was he thinking?" Gardevoir asked.

"Lyon's dream had always been to surpass Ur. He thinks that by releasing and defeating Deliora, he can achieve this dream since Deliora defeated Ur. But what Lyon doesn't realise is that Ur never died!" Gray said firmly and that shocked Gardevoir.

_Wait a moment, I could break the Iced Shell with Moonblast. Does this mean..? _Gardevoir wondered but trailed off as he realised the meaning beneath Gray's words. She couldn't help but let out a small gasp. Erza gave her a suspicious look but decided upon not questioning it yet.

"I lived in a city in the Land of Isvan, until the day Deliora razed it to the ground. Everyone died except for me, and it was then that Ur and Lyon found me." He began and could remember it as if it were yesterday.

(Flashback)

_Gray looked no older than child of about 8 and was facing his mentor. She was a woman of average height with a slim, curvaceous figure. She had short dark purple hair that was kept at chin length. This clothing consisted of a tan jacket with a black collar, jeans and a red tank top. "Well, Gray?" She asked with a smile. "Training won't be easy. Do you think you can keep up with me?"_

_Gray looked right back at her with determination in his eyes. "I will, no matter what it takes!" He declared._

_Ur smiled, glad to see that her now second pupil would do whatever it takes, and then began stripping to Gray's shock. A younger Lyon stood beside him, and he didn't appear to be startled at all. "Strip." Ur said._

_"Why?" Gray asked, looking dumbfounded._

_"If you want to learn Ice Magic, you'll have to start learning to get used to the cold. The only way is to wear minimal clothing." Ur explained as she was now dressed only in her bra and a pair of panties._

_Gray looked even more dumbfounded as Lyon did the same thing then after a moments hesitation followed suit and began shivering. "This is stupid." Gray complained halfheartedly._

_Ur smiled. "Once you have become accustomed to the cold, then we can start with the Magic. I believe that Maker Magic is the one with the greatest freedom, as it allows you to find your own style."_

_At a market place, Gray and Lyon were waiting while Ur was at a shop and buying food. "You should try to find your own happiness instead of devoting yourself to those two boys." The shopkeeper said, clearly not agreeing with what Ur was doing._

_But Ur disagreed. "Those two _are_ making me happy. Especially after what happened to her." She said sadly._

_Meanwhile, both Gray and Lyon were discussing their progress with Ice Magic. "Someday, I'll become stronger than Ur, and I'll prove so by defeating her!" Lyon said._

_Gray had other things on his mind. "I'm going to find Deliora and pay him back what he did to my family. Once I can do that I'll leave the ice queen." Unfortunately for him Ur had heard that and she punched him gently in the shoulder. "That hurt!" Gray whined as for the first time in his life he subconsciously stripped to his boxers._

_"Put your clothes back on Gray!" Ur tutted._

_"What?!" Gray jumped and quickly began putting his clothes back on. "And don't blame me, this is all your fault!" He countered, pointing an accusing finger at his master. Ur looked shocked for a moment but couldn't resist a chuckle when she realised he was right. As they were going out of town however, Gray heard something that intensified the mood._

_"Hey did you hear?" A man asked his partner. "Apparently there's been a sighting of Deliora recently." _

_Gray ran up to the two men who were conversing with each other and demanded, "Tell me where Deliora is!" The pair looked startled but eventually relented and told him. Later, back at Ur's house he got into a row with her over Deliora. "I'm going to fight Deliora!" Gray argued._

_"You can't fight Deliora Gray he's too strong for you! You'll only get yourself killed!" Ur shot back but Gray opened the door and looked at her._

_"I don't care." He said and began walking in the snow. Gray didn't look back to see the surprise on her face._

The group carried on as quickly as they could, but they were eventually beset by trouble. A group of robed figures began swarming towards them, with the obvious intention of stopping them. Gardevoir, Gray, Lucy and Happy recognised them from earlier when they first encountered Lyon. Erza didn't recognise them but could tell they were trouble. "Gray, you go on ahead. We can handle these guys." Erza said and then requipped into her Heaven's Wheel armour, neatly taking out a group of them.

"**Moonblast!**" Gardevoir cried as she fired a pink beam into another group and hit a tree that caused it to break apart and fall down.

"**Open: Gate of the Giant Crab - Cancer!**" Lucy called as she held up one of her Golden Keys. Cancer was a tall thin Spirit with tanned skin and black craided hair that resembled an actual hairdressers. He wore a pair of green tinted sunglasses and carried a pair of scissors with crab handles. Cancer wore a light blue striped shirt and a pair of black trousers that were also quite thin.

Cancer saw Erza and presented her with a rose. "How about a pretty flower for a strong female -choki?" He asked.

"Nevermind that, help me take out these worshippers!" Lucy cried and Gardevoir watched as Cancer began using his scissors to cut open the hooded Deliora worshippers and was surprised with his dexterity and accuracy. It reminded her very much of Greninja who rarely missed his mark.

"What are you standing around for Gray? Hurry up!" Gardevoir shouted.

"Aye!" Happy agreed. Gray snapped out of it a and began running once more towards the temple, remembering his fight with Deliora.

(Flashback)

_Gray cursed as he was slowly beginning to realise that Ur was right. Even though Lyon joined him soon afterwards, the two of them were no match for Deliora_

_The demon roared as it swang its head towards the pair and fired a bright yellow laser at the two of them. Both of them did their best at defending themselves but once again Deliora proved too strong for both of them and Gray felt everything go black. He was jolted awake and to his amazement saw Ur standing there. Then he noticed a leg made out of ice. "Ur?!" Gray asked._

_She turned to acknowledge him with a smile. "Don't worry about me." Ur said before facing Deliora again and she held out her hands to stop. "Take Lyon and get away from here. Defeating Deliora and protecting the two of you is a hard job." Ur ordered. _

_But Gray had other things on his mind. "Why did you return? I walked out on you!" He said._

_Ur smiled grimly as she turned to face Deliora. "Everyone kept telling me to find my happiness, but to be honest I wasn't always unhappy with you. Seeing you two grow both physically and mentally was enough for me. Now you need to overcome the darkness within you Gray, everyone can. If defeating Deliora is what will do so then that's another reason for me to fight." _

_Gray didn't say anything, but was beginning to cry out of respect for his master. "But Deliora killed my parents!" He said stubbornly._

_"That doesn't matter to me Gray. I'll take back my happiness with this trial." Ur replied as Deliora unleashed another wave of powerful Magic energy, levelling two buildings. Lyon woke up suddenly and punched Gray in the back making him fall over. Lyon then rushed forwards._

_"No, that won't happen! I have to defeat you, you're the strongest Mage in the west." Lyon protested._

_Ur shook her head. "There are plenty of people who are stronger than me- WHAT ARE YOU DOING LYON?!" She shouted as he got into a stance and crossed his arms over. He was clearly attempting to perform Iced Shell, but Lyon would never get a chance to finish the spell as Ur froze him and decided to complete the spell._

_Ur looked over her shoulder sadly at Gray whilst she took up the stance in order to finish the spell. "Gray... tell Lyon that I'm dead and that the two of you should find your own paths. Overcome your darkness, for me. __**Iced Shell!**__"__ She cried and disappeared in a blue flash of light and became ice that entrapped Deliora._

_The following day was deathly quiet and Lyon woke up. He could hear Gray crying and saw a frozen Deliora. "What... happened?" He asked._

_"Ur, is dead." Gray said as he stopped crying and then was surprised when Lyon hit him._

_"And it's your fault!" Lyon shouted in anger._

"Ur... I know what to do now. It's time to finish this Lyon!" Gray said as he got closer to the temple.

* * *

**Inside the Temple, with Natsu**

"**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!**" Natsu shouted.

"**Ice Make: Wolf!**" Lyon chanted and a green Seal appeared and one of his hands was encased in a Wolfs Head made out of ice. The two of them then lunged forwards and both spells clashed, but neither could gain the upper hand.

Natsu then managed to overpower Lyon and he stumbled back towards. Natsu grinned and he put his arms together over his mouth and used Fire Dragon's Roar.

"**Ice Make: Shield!**" Lyon cried and a circular shield with a hexagonal pattern formed. The fire raged at the ice, but it couldn't break through. Instead most of it was deflected around Lyon, and there was a lot of smoke. The Ice Make user then created a Snow Dragon that caught Natsu by surprise and sent him flying towards the wall, however the pink haired Mage growled in annoyance, clearly not ready to give up yet.

"You're even more annoying than Gray. And he was the weaker student." Lyon said, beginning to get irritated with Natsu.

"I don't care what your beef is with Gray, but I won't let you hurt him or anyone else!" Natsu shouted.

"**Ice Make: Eagle!**" Lyon shouted, using one hand to cast the spell and a swarm of ice birds targeted Natsu.

Natsu used Fire Dragon's Wing Attack in response and moved his arms in a spiralling motion and the fire melted the birds.

Lyon was shocked at first and then Natsu punched him in the face which sent him sprawling across the icy floor and he slammed next to the throne. "I won't let anyone get in my way of surpassing Ur!" He said and began a fist fight with Natsu. Neither person could land a hit and sometimes both fists met each other. Lyon then faked a left before hooking Natsu with his right fist and sent him back several feet. Wasting no time Lyon cast Ice Make: Eagle again.

"**Fire Dragon's Roar!**" Natsu cried sent a large stream of fire that engulfed Lyon's birds and sent him flying into the wall.

Both of them were about to engage again when Gray burst in and stood between them. "At last, the criminal shows his face. You ready to owe up Gray?" Lyon asked.

"Stand back Natsu. Lyon, I won't let you harm another soul." Gray said calmly and spread his feet apart then crossed his arms. "You should remember this spell very well Lyon." He added and began to glow a blue aura.

* * *

**Deeper underground, with Rex**

Rex didn't bother following Zalty, as all he was concerned with right now was stopping the Moon Drip. It was currently a matter of getting to Deliora and stopping the ritual from being completed. He heard a distant rumble from above him and immediately thought of Natsu fighting Lyon. "Lyon... there is nothing wrong with what your dream is, but your heart is in the wrong place." Rex said to himself as he managed to find the area where Deliora was. Seeing that he was here first he kept the Earth Plate equipped.

"Good, I'm here first. Now then, all I have to do is bury Deliora five feet under and-" Red began but was cut off by a voice from above.

"Too bad that won't happen." Zalty said from above as he smirked. At the same time Rex saw a light begin to shine on Deliora again.

"What?! How can the ceremony still be performed? We've taken everyone out!" He cried. Rex also knew for a fact that Zalty couldn't be performing it because he was here. What he didn't know was that Toby was performing the Moon Drip ceremony, but it would take a while for it to complete. "Did you rectify the temple when we tilted it earlier?" Rex said in an accusing tone.

Zalty smiled and said, "You're a perceptive one aren't you? That is correct. My Magic is Arc of Time, a Lost Magic that allows me to control an object's timeline." He explained. "Lyon is too absorbed with his dream to realise that he is no match for Deliora. But I can control it and will use it to take over the world."

"Seriously? The old taks over the world stick? I'm tired of hearing that sorta crap." Rex switched to the Icicle Plate and a blue aura began drawing itself to his hand and a ball of ice that was roughly two thirds the size of Happy formed. "**Ice Ball.**" Rex said and fired at Zalty.

But the masked man only raised his hand and a grey seal appeared. Then the Ice Ball simply vanished into thin air and Rex displayed his surprise at it being true. Then he jumped forwards at Zalty and his hand was lit up with blue sparks. He swung with Ice Punch and Zalty dodged it before an orb appeared in front of him.

Rex attacked the orb and smashed it, only for it to reform and attack him. It flew right at him and hit him in the stomach, not stopping until it carried him into the wall. It then raced back and split into multiple orbs before they all charged at him at lightning fast speed. He used Protect and the orbs battered against the shield, but couldn't break through.

Although he dropped to the ground in a fair amount of pain he was smiling as he stood up. "You know something? I wondered all this time. If you can control objects, why didn't you simply use your Arc of Time on this block of ice here? Simple. Because you can't use it on living things, which is why you dodged my Ice Punch earlier. And this also means that Ur is living in the Ice encasing Deliora." Rex explained.

Zalty was startled. "I would appear that you're much smarter than I give you credit for." He complimented as another shockwave could be felt. "It would seem that your pink haired friend can make quite the racket."

Rex smiled. "That's Natsu for yah, he's a one man wrecking ball." He then suddenly change into the Zap Plate and jumped forward at an incredible speed and attacked with Thunder Punch. Zalty was too slow to react this time and was sent crashing into the rock. Rex would've followed up the attack had he not chosen to disappear under the cover of smoke. "Hmpf. If I use Earthquake to tilt it again he'll only balance it back again. So I have to go up and stop it myself."

Rex let out a deep breath and switched to the Sky Plate and began to quickly fly up with the intent to stop whoever was up there from finishing the Moon Drip ceremony. As he was flying up he felt a large disturbance and looked towards where Natsu and Lyon were. "Is that... Gray?" Rex asked, baffled.

* * *

**With Gray and co.**

Lyon looked on as he saw Gray begin to form the Iced Shell spell and was only moderately surprised. "Is this your idea of a joke Gray? No wonder I was the better pupil." Lyon said, as if he wasn't taking it seriously.

Gray didn't back down and the blue aura merely intensified. "I see... if that's how you want it Lyon then fine." He replied quietly and Lyon the realised that he was going to actually cast Iced Shell. Gray began remembering what he had done at Fairy Tail and silently wished everyone he knew goodbye.

The last thing both pupils were expecting was for Natsu to punch Gray hard enough to stop him from going through with using Iced Shell. "What the hell do you think you're doing Gray?" He roared and the topless raven haired Mage looked on in surprise.

"I'm finishing this Natsu the only way possible." Gray replied, still subdued by the fact that the dragon slayer did that.

"The only way possible? By running away?" Natsu shouted.

Gray stopped, coming to conclusion that Natsu was right. "Fine, but listen flame brain. I'm going to beat Lyon this time, and you need to stop the Moon Drip ritual." He said and Natsu grinned at seeing Gray's fighting spirit back.

"Aye aye!" Natsu replied, sounding like Happy and heading off to go higher.

Lyon looked on in amusement. "Still planning on fighting Gray?" He asked.

"There is no need to fight Lyon. Give up on Deliora." Gray said, much to Lyon's surprise. He didn't say a thing and wondered if he misheard Gray. "Using Iced Shell requires the Caster to sacrifice their body, which means that Ur still lives within the ice, and I'm sorry for lying to you and saying she's dead." He explained as they were only a foot away from each other.

But Lyon smirked suddenly and put a palm against Gray's abdomen. "Still two steps behind Gray. I knew all along." He revealed and a Panther made of ice burst from the other side. Gray gasped as he stumbled backwards. "But she's now merely ice scraps. Grow up." Lyon tutted before expressing shock when Gray suddenly hit him so hard he flew into the wall.

"That's it Lyon! I'm tired of saving you. Ice Make: Lance!" Gray chanted as he fired a round of icy lances towards Lyon. But the older ex-pupil didn't defend himself this time.

"You'll pay sincerely for that Gray!" Lyon shouted as he made a dragon of ice that charged at Gray.

"**Ice Make: Sword!**" Gray replied and created a sword with his Ice before swinging it at the dragon. Both attacks cancelled each other out and the two Mages stared each other down for a few seconds.

"I can't waste any more Magic if I want to defeat Deliora, so I'll settle this with my bare hands Gray!" Lyon declared and Gray silently agreed with him.

The pair then threw several initial punches at each other to figure out their style. Gray then blocked a punch with his right hand and tried to hook Lyon with his left. But Lyon grabbed his fist and kicked him where he had used his Ice Make: Panther spell on earlier and Gray stumbled. "This was part of our training Gray..." Lyon began as he repeatedly targeted the wound, allowing him to gain the upper hand.

"...Ur told us to always aim for the weak spot!" He finished and slammed his foot against the injury hard, causing Gray to stumble back against the wall.

"Don't even say her name like that Lyon!" Gray replied and began to remember how he always ended up in a fistfight with Natsu. In particular Gray recalled the first time it happened and he distinctly remembered coming out on top, but Natsu would never give up and he would keep on fighting Gray. The raven haired Mage then remembered what Rex had said about him being like Natsu after Igneel disappeared. _Natsu... Rex... Thank you. _Gray thought.

"It's over Gray." Lyon boasted, but was surprised to see Gray get up and charge at him again. Both of them managed to hit each each other again, but their fight was interrupted by a rumbling.

"What was that?" Gray inquired, fearing the worst.

"...Deliora is now finally free. And there is nothing you can do about it." Lyon stated.

At the top of the temple Rex had managed to find Toby, completing the Moon Drip ceremony. He didn't bother saying anything and decided to get the element of surprise which was lost as soon as a certain pink haired dragon slayer shouted, "I'M COMING RIGHT FOR YA!"

"Natsu you flaming idiot!" Rex cursed and gasped in pain as a pale orb winded him. He fell to the floor and expected more to follow, but none came. _Damn you Zalty._

Natsu lunged forwards and managed to one shot Toby using Fire Dragon's Sword Horn, but at that point it was simply too late. The Moon Drip ceremony was more or less completed, and the ground began shaking as Deliora was freeing itself from the ice.

"What?!" Both Natsu and Rex (once he regained his breath) cried.

"Okay, no time for worrying. We gotta get to Deliora right now!" Rex said as he changed into the Sky Forme and grabbed Natsu's arm. It took him a moment to realise they would have to fly down and began protesting but his motion sickness stopped that.

"You can't do anything to stop it now Gray! You're too late!" Lyon said triumphantly and he began to cast a spell. A flurry of Ice Make: Eagles began rushing towards Gray. "I spent the last three years gathering information and followers so that I could finally fulfil my lifelong dream of surpassing Ur. You have no idea how long I spent dragging Deliora to this island and using the Moon Drip on it."

Gray responded by using his Ice Make: Shield, but was amazed. "You wasted three years on a stupid plan that would never work?" He asked as the Eagles battered against his shield.

Lyon glared as he unleashed another flock. "You're calling ME stupid? What about you pottering around with some stupid Guild for the last ten years?" He shouted.

After a while, the flock broke through the shield but Gray dodged it. "It may be some stupid Guild as you put it Lyon, but I followed Ur's teachings! When she told me that there were plenty of Guilds with strong wizards in the west, she suggested I join one of them and I decided to join Fairy Tail. I asked Master Makarov if there was a way to break Iced Shell. He never said it outright, but I now know that he meant Moon Drip." Gray lectured.

Lyon formed a wolf head on his arm and began throwing it at Gray from all sides. "It doesn't change a thing though, in the end I'll still be the one destined to surpass out master. By defeating Deliora!" Lyon roared defiantly.

"No Lyon, you aren't ready. Even in a hundred years you still won't be ready. You simply cannot decide your destiny and expect it to just happen. Only you shape your future, and what you've done it turn your back on that." Gray countered as he managed to avoid each blow and successfully punch Lyon in the face. The momentum of the pair carried them through the wall and there was now a few feet separating them.

Lyon held up a hand. "**Ice Make: Snow Tiger!**" He chanted as he created a tiger made of ice and it charged at Gray.

Gray jumped up and placed a fist in the palm of his hand. "**Ice Make: Prison!**" He responded and crated a square prison with ice bars surrounding the tiger, trapping it in a cage.

Lyon wasn't impressed at first but was startled when he saw that the tiger was unable to break through no matter how hard it tried.

"This is what you have become Lyon. A tiger trapped in a cage, lashing out at a world that he doesn't even know about!" Gray declared as he pointed at the tiger.

"Stop spouting such nonsense Gray!" Lyon growled as the tiger slammed against the bars but as before to no avail. It then broke as Gray jumped off from the roof of his cell.

"Single handed spellcasting is too unbalanced; your creations will let you down when you need them most." Gray reminded Lyon as he took a two handed stance and this time created a bazooka. "Ice Make: Cannon!" He cried and fired a large blast of ice at Lyon that sent him through the wall. Gray then realised that it was a complete hit though, but wasn't sure if either Lyon dodged it or he deliberately missed.

"Thank you, Ur." Gray smiled and put a hand to his chest then winced. It certainly wasn't a pleasant injury and Gray would probably come out with a few scars, but he could live with that. His thoughts were interrupted when a low pitched roar reverberated throughout the temple and across the island. Gray gasped as he recognised a sound he hadn't heard in 10 years.

Deliora.

* * *

**Outside the temple, with Erza and co.**

It didn't take them long to realise that none of the troops could fight back using Magic and within a matter of minutes Erza, Lucy, Happy and Gardevoir were out on top. The blue cat managed to get in on some of the action by attacking using two fish he pulled out from his bag.

"Would you like to punish me Princess?" Virgo inquired. She had been summoned she Lucy decided to give Cancer a break and Lyon's followers underestimated her, and to a certain extent the whole group, at their own peril.

"What? That won't be necessary! You can go back now Virgo." Lucy replied and Virgo disappeared with a golden glow.

When they headed the roar everyone turned to look at the temple. "That must have been Deliora." Erza stated.

"So why is there Moon Drip still coming down?" Happy asked, focusing more on the pink pillar that was still.

"Deliora may not be completely free yet, which gives us some time. Let's get going now!" Erza ordered and they began making their way up to the top of the mountain.

* * *

**Underground, with Deliora**

As Deliora was released from its icy prison it began to move slightly, but the ice that was still around it prevented it from moving. Rex was currently trying to shake Natsu out of his motion sickness, but was not really getting anywhere and was getting annoyed with it. "What's wrong with you Natsu? You're fine when you fly with Happy but not with me?" He shouted. A blue glow from behind him made Rex stop and turn.

Gray was there and like before with Lyon was attempting to use Iced Shell. "Don't worry about me Rex, I've got to finish this on my own terms."

"You're wrong Gray. I may not be the chosen one anymore, but I won't give up now." Lyon said, and Rex saw that he had changed for the better. "I remember when I first met you I confronted Ur and thought that you were going to replace me. I asked if I wasn't enough to replace her dead daughter and she slapped me, but then said that neither of us were replacing one of the other and that we're both beloved apprentices." He admitted.

Rex sighed as he rolled his eyes. "Look, you're both wrong. Watch this." He said and Gray was startled out of the Iced Shell position. Rex faced Deliora and he now equipped the Flame Plate. Then he charged at Deliora with the help of Flame Charge and the demon swung at him. Both fists collided with a powerful shockwave and the ground cracked, the force of it nearly throwing the three of them off their feet. Lyon, Gray and the now conscious Natsu did not expect the demon to just give up and crumble before their eyes.

Lyon was dumbstruck as he looked at the disintegrating demon. "But... what happened?" He asked quietly.

"It's simple. All the time Deliora was in the ice, Ur was slowly killing it after she used Iced Shell with her Magic. So I guess you could say that she defeated Deliora in the end after all, and is now living in the ocean watching over you two." Rex grinned, as he looked at the pair of Ice Mages.

Gray began to realise that he was right and began to smile then subconsciously cried. "Let's got back to the village. The others will no doubt be waiting at the top of the temple."

When the four of them arrived, Rex and Natsu were both surprised to see that Erza had joined them and the dragon slayer rushed to Happy and Lucy. "We did it! We completed our S-Class request!" Natsu shouted.

"Aye sir!" Happy agreed.

Rex groaned and Erza shook her head. "The job was to destroy the moon, not to defeat Deliora. We still haven't cured the villagers of this curse." She pointed out and then they turned to Lyon.

"Do you know anything about this curse?" Gray asked Lyon.

Lyon replied reluctantly. "No. My little team have stayed at this island for the last three years. Not a single villager has come up in that time. Furthermore, we were all exposed to the light and was completely unaffected by it." He explained, but didn't look at them.

"After what you've done we're supposed to believe you?" Natsu growled and Lyon looked at him wearily.

"Stop it Natsu, Lyon is telling the truth." Rex said firmly, stepping between the two. _Since what Lyon said is true, I'm beginning to wonder if these villagers are ordinary villagers at all._ Rex thought as they all began heading back towards the village, but Gray stood behind to tell Lyon something.

"Ya know, you could join a Guild. It's a lot of fun there." Gray recommended.

"That idea is pointless." Lyon said as Gray began to catch up, but Lyon looked at the running Gray for a brief moment.

Since they had entered the temple, it had become night again and much to everyone's surprise, the village had been repaired as if nothing had ever happened. Many people were amazed, including some of the returning group. Rex was the only one who knew who was responsible, but decided for now not to say a word. It didn't shake off his feeling that Zalty would appear again, but now he knew about Arc of Time and would be ready for it. Luckily it didn't take long for everyone to regroup and Erza began taking charge. "Now that everyone's here I am glad to say that destroying the moon is more or less possible." She announced.

There was stunned silence and everyone looked on incredulously. "First I would like to have a few things clarified. What colour would the moon look like each night you transformed?" She asked and Moka answered.

"It had a pinkish hue. It would always be pink." He said and cleared his throated.

"Since it was coming from the temple, surely you could've gone there right?" Rex asked. This answer would either make or break his theory.

Moka shuffled on his feet for a moment before replying rather embarrassedly. "Well we did try but for some odd reason we couldn't no matter what. We would end up back at the village every time. We didn't tell anyone because we thought you wouldn't believe it."

Rex shrugged casually but that information allowed him to put the final pieces together. "I've seen stranger things happen." He remarked offhandedly.

"Aye." Happy said, smiling at Rex.

"Which is why-!" Erza began walking and then sudden screamed as she fell into a pitfall trap. It became apparent that not only had the Arc of Time restored the village, but it also included Lucy's trap she made earlier that was foiled.

"I am so dead." Lucy whimpered.

"Did Erza...?" Natsu began.

"...Scream like a girl?" Gray added.

"That's kinda cute." Rex said, blushing slightly as he did so.

Erza got out of the trap and acted like nothing happened, much to Lucy's relief. "If what you say is true then those two events are linked." She concluded and Rex was only slightly surprised that those two had the same idea. "**Requip!**" Erza cried and her armour changed. It was now a mostly golden colour with blue ornamental stripes and was lined with fur in several places. The breastplate features a medallion similar in shape to a four-leaf clover over the armor's collar and displays a blue ornamented cross over her abdomen area. This armour's most notable feature was the arms. Her left arm was smaller and more covered up, as opposed to the right arm which was more revealing.

"What is that?" Gardevoir asked, and that seemed to be the question on most peoples minds.

"This is The Giant's Armour. It allows me increase me strength." Erza explained as she summoned a spear. "I'm going to use the Spear of Baja to destroy it. Natsu, when I throw it, you use your Magic to give it a boost." She requested and the villagers looked on in excitement.

"She's serious about this?" Lucy cried.

"That's Erza for yah!" Happy chimed, but Rex smiled. Natsu looked fired up, despite not knowing what was going to happen as he climbed on top of one of the huts. Erza raised her arm back and threw the spear into the air. When it passed Natsu he jumped forwards and hit it as hard as he could using Fire Dragon's Iron Fist, and it then rocketed forwards. The spear kept going up and up... until it hit something and the sky cracked into several pieces and broke to reveal...

"Another moon? WHAT?!" Natsu roared and the villagers agreed with his sentiments as well. What's more they were staying in their demon forms.

"Let me explain. You were never human. All this time you've been demons who forgotten who you really were and you ended up thinking you were humans that were cursed as demons. That was caused by a membrane layer formed as a result of the Moon Drip." Rex explained and it took a while for it to sink in. Then they realised the reason that none of them could approach the temple. As beings of darkness they couldn't go near such holy light.

"...and I was the only one still aware of it. The thought that no one else knew drove me insane." A familiar voice sounded. Everyone turned their heads to see Bobo of all people (demons?) who had made it up here.

Moka began to shake. "You mean... Bobo..." He began to cry and the two embraced each other.

Rex then remembered something that had happened earlier in the boat. "So how come you disappeared?" He asked and was surprised to see wings come out from behind Bobo's back. These weren't white feathery wings, rather they were black bat like wings.

Soon afterwards the villagers held a party in honour of the group managing to save the island from the curse. There was dancing, food, drink and jokes that went round in steady succession, and several of the female demons who had helped Gray recover spent some time with him. The Ice Mage felt nervous, but that didn't stop him from joining in. Rex felt his mind drifting towards to when he unlocked the Earth Plate. It was obvious that that one time was a case of him unlocking it only when he needed it as opposed to when he wanted it and assumed it would be like that from now on.

"Is something the matter?" Erza asked, catching Rex by surprise. He was so embraced in his thoughts that he didn't hear her walking up to him.

"No not really, I was just thinking back towards when I unlocked the Earth Plate and gained access to the Ground type. It made me realise that I'll have to be more patient in the future." Rex said and for a moment the two of them stared at each other, as if they wanted the other person to break an awkward silence. Rex took a step closer to Erza and then Gardevoir came in.

"Rex, Erza, the two of you should come and take a look at this." Gardefvoir said seriously and they both jumped back in shock. Gardevoir looked between the two of them before dismissing the idea and leading them down towards the gate.

Yuka and Sherry had both descended from the mountain and were greeted with a slightly cold reception. "What are you doing here?" Erza demanded and Yuka wilted slightly at her gaze.

"Now that Lyon's love is whole again, we will seek retribution for out acts." Sherry spoke up.

"...Even if it means fighting you." Yuka added.

"Careful Erza, the blue haired Mage can nullify Magic." Rex advised. Erza didn't say anything but obviously took that into account as she decided to use her fists and began to beat them up. This also showed how she could fight without weapons.

"So this is the famous Titania." Yuka said, but wasn't striking back. "Listen, we came here to receive punishment for what we put the villagers through. We remember how we lost everything to Deliora as well, and joined the Cold Emperor so that we could end our suffering." He explained and everyone began to smile.

"That's okay, so why not join us?" Natsu said with a grin and Yuka was startled by his accepting attitude. When they did the festivities continued.

Someone was watching them from the forest though, and that someone wore a mask. Zalty took it off to reveal his small eyes and dark green hair, before glowing a faint and changing back into a dark purple haired female wizard who wore white robes and a communication Lacrima floated by her side.

Siegrain was at the end of the line in his office at Era. "Well Ultear?" He asked expectantly.

Ultear scowled before replying. "The demon had been dying in the crystal all this time. My mothers spell was clearly stronger than I had forseen." She said, and spat at the word mother.

Siegrain couldn't resist a smile. "Hurry up and get back to Era as soon as you can. Why did you restore the village anyway?" He asked, genuinely curious.

Ultear grinned and replied. "Because I'm nice." She said.

The following morning was dedicated to the preparations for leaving Galuna Island. Whilst they had been asleep after spending some time partying, Yuka and Sherry had slipped away to Lyon and Erza went to get the pirate ship ready. Lucy and the others spent their time packing up and she along with Rex were currently patching up the scar left by Lyon on Gray.

"It's going to be permanent." Lucy warned and Gray shrugged.

"Don't worry about it. A scar's a scar, the ones you can't see are those that hurt more." Gray replied and Rex nodded in agreement with that oddly philosophical comment.

Natsu frowned and raised his eyebrows. "So you have invisible scars?" He asked with a grin.

"Damnit Natsu, why do you ruin everything I say?" Gray retorted and not too long afterwards they began getting into another petty fight.

"Those two never learn." Rex groaned.

"Aye." Happy said, chewing on a fish as he did so.

They all headed towards the beach where the pirate ship was waiting for them. What made things even stranger was the fact that they all seemed eager to the let them onboard and nobody had any doubts as to who convinced them. Surprisingly the villagers had come down to offer them the reward, but Erza denied it.

"The request was fulfilled unofficially, therefore we cannot take the money unfortunately." She said.

But Moka kept going. "And the very least, please take this as a symbol of out friendship. We have no need or use of this, it would certainly benefit the Celestial Wizard you have." He presented the Golden Key for Sagittarius and Erza accepted with a nod. A shout from the pirates indicated that they were ready and they left, but not before promising to visit the island again.

Elsewhere on the Island Lyon looked on at the scene alongf with some of the survivors as well as Sherry, Yuka, Toby and Angelica. He contemplated what Gray said for a moment before turning to Sherry. "Are Guilds fun?" Lyon asked.

* * *

**Era, with Siegrain and Ultear**

Ultear and Siegrain were currently discussing what had happened on Galuna Island with Deliora and the others. "It's a pity that Deliora died as a result of Ur's spell. If she hadn't sacrificed herself,she might even have been one of the Ten Wizard Saints." Siegrain mused and Ultear kept a neutral.

"And what of Rex Vermend? He has power unlike anything we've seen before. I sometimes wonder if he is even from this world." Ultear pointed out, and a smile crept across Siegrain's face.

"Both Rex and Natsu are surprising individuals, and we'll have to keep an eye on them. We wouldn't them to interfere with our plans now would we? For it to succeed however, they both need to shine brightly in order for my dream to become reality." Siegrain said and smirked. As he looked away, Ultear scowled at him because she knew much better than he ever could and then made a slight noise as she touched her cheek. Siegrain turned quickly and then laughed as he saw that her cheek had swollen up and turned blue.

"It was when that idiot Rex got me with a punch that felt like Ice." Ultear snapped and Siegrain calmed down enough.

"...Well that certainly was a delated reaction, wasn't it?" He smiled at his joke and Ultear continued to scowl.

* * *

**Back at Hargeon Port, with Natsu and co.**

Natsu was the first, perhaps unsurprisingly to get off the hijacked ship as soon as it docked at Hargeon, followed by Happy and then everyone else. What was surprising was that he was feeling rather down, along with Gray and Happy. Lucy and Rex on the other hand were feeling elated at the fact that they actually got something out of their little expedition.

"Hey Lucy, why can't we sell that Key?" Natsu said, looking at it as if it were a mug filled with fire.

"WHAT?!" Lucy shouted in disbelief. "Natsu, the 12 Keys of the Zodiac are priceless you can't just sell them!" She cried and clutched onto it as if her life depended on it.

Erza decided to rain the parade. "And you think that just because you've completed it you'll be let off. The Master might even punish you with _that_." She added chillingly and Natsu, Gray and Happy looked at her with fear in their eyes.

"Not that! Anything but _that_ please!" Natsu panicked and began sweating bullets.

Gray, who was now wearing a plain dark blue polo T-shirt was also sweating nervously. "That last time the Master did _that_..." He trailed off.

Lucy had never seen or heard of _that_, but she didn't like the sound of that, whatever that was. "Wait a second, what is _that_?" She began crying in fear.

"Let's just say that _that_ punishment is a really horrible one which no one should ever experience!" Happy said and was shaking with fear. But it did little to consulate Lucy who was shaking just as much as Happy.

Rex sighed, as he was the only one not afraid of that. "Guys at the end of day regardless of whether or not we completed the request, we did break the Guild rules. Which means we should accept whatever punishment Master Makarov gives us." He pointed out, but secretly hoped that the Master wouldn't punish him since it was Natsu's fault that he was part of the mission.

Everyone looked at Rex in astonishment, but Erza was the only one who recovered. "That is the attitude you should be adopting Natsu." She said and realised that she was beginning to like Rex in more ways than just one. Erza promptly pushed that thought out of her mind though and silently berated herself because he was also going to be punished for what he had done. She stole another look and noted that Natsu and Gray were looking at him as if he was nuts. That was another thing she liked about him - Rex was smarter and much more sensible than the two of them. Erza broke out into a smile as she contemplated this.

**And on that note this chapter is finished. As said at that start, please tell me via review if I should do Changeling first or Natsu and the Dragon Egg. Until next time, Alpha Dragonis out!**


	7. Natsu and The Dragon Egg

**Seven chapters in and I've decided to reveal a few things, but spoilers go no further than that. There'll be a one shot and a short filler arc between Phantom Lord and Tower of Heaven instead of the Loke arc.**

**Then after the Oracion Seis there will be a major arc that is sorta key to Rex's development.**

**Insane Dominator:** Yeah I can understand, as it is important not only to Natsu, but to Elfman, Mira, Erza and just about everyone else in Fairy Tail. It's good to see that you're enjoying how the two of them are getting along as well.

**ultima-owner: **Chances are I'll do Natsu and the Dragon Egg first. Changeling would come afterwards along with something else.

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark:** It's good to see that you're liking this. With Changeling... I have such a brilliant idea on how to handle it, which is something you'll have to wait for next chapter.

**Guest:** Sorry but that won't happen for reasons that will become apparent later on.

**Alright, only a few reviews but I've decided to do Natsu and the Dragon Egg first.**

**Previously on Guardian Fairy - **

**Rex: **Well done Gray, you defeated Lyon! Though both of Ur's students didn't realise that Ur was slowly killing Deliora after using Iced Shell, and as a result all it took was one Flame Charge of all attacks to crumble it to pieces. Meanwhile, the only mystery that remains unsolved is of Zalty. He could use Arc of Time which meant that any ranged attack was useless, but any melee attacks enhanced with fire, ice etc. still got through.

**Lucy:** But it turned out that the villagers were demons all along who had thought they were human! Talk about freaky, and the Moon Drip settled into a membrane layer. But at least we got the Celestial Key for Sagittarius, which is worth something, right?

**Gardevoir: **To you perhaps but to the others they feel liked they have been cheated out of seven million Jewel.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Natsu and the Dragon Egg**

Rex couldn't helped but feel nervous as they approached the Fairy Tail Guild Hall. He wasn't intimidated by _that_ punishment, which is something that Erza wished Natsu and Gray would do more of, but it was more of the fact that whether or not he was going to be punished.

Erza threw the doors open and everyone stopped to look at the group who had returned from their little expedition. There were some quiet murmurs and one or two looks but other than that the Guild soon returned to their usual liveliness.

"Oh, you're back!" Mirajane said as she came over. "Did Natsu do anything to you Rex?" She asked and inspected him like he was some sort of delicate machine.

"Not much, though I did managed to obtain two more Plates. Unfortunately we couldn't accept the cash reward, but Lucy did get the Zodiac Key attached to it." Rex grinned, putting on a brave face in spite of his predicament.

Erza quickly scanned the Hall and couldn't see Makarov anywhere. She was also slightly annoyed at seeing Rex with Mira, who was also completely ignoring her. "Mira, where is Master Makarov?" She asked briskly.

Mira turned back to Erza. "He went out earlier to a meeting and won't be back for a day or two at least." She replied as she kept her usual smile on. Rex heaved an inward sigh, anything unfortunate that was going to happen would be delayed for another day and he figured he would get his just desserts.

On the other hand, Erza turned briskly to Natsu who was sneaking over to the request board. "You are not to go on any jobs while the Master is out, understand?" She asked chillingly and Natsu groaned in defeat. He went over to a nearby table and began sulking.

"Don't you think that's a little harsh?" Rex asked and Erza turned to face him. Several others nearby also turned their heads and were surprised to see Rex questioning Erza's orders.

"Are you taking Natsu's side?" She replied and glared at him. Normally when she glared at you, you did what you were told, no questions asked. But it was clear by the tone that he wasn't as afraid as most people were.

Rex held up his hand to object mildly. "No, but you can't simply just order him to stop doing jobs until the Master returns. Besides, Mira said he would return after a couple of days at the least. Why shouldn't Natsu go on a job? I won't deny that he broke the rules, but he never intended to harm anybody and nobody could've predicted what would happen on Galuna Island, right? Cut him some slack Erza." He suggested. By now the Guild Hall had gone completely silent and some Guild members were fearful because Erza might lash out at Rex.

The Fairy Queen took a moment to consider it and felt conflicted. On one hand, Rex had a point - she was partly under the assumption that Natsu knew Lyon and his buddies were there, but afterwards when she heard Gray's story she realised that it was an unexpected event. But Natsu had broken a rule and she didn't want him to get away with it. "Very well. Natsu, you can go on a job, but you must accept the Master's punishment without any objections, understood?" She proposed.

That seemed to do the trick as Natsu sprung up eagerly like a kid. "Thanks Erza! C'mon happy let's go on a job now!" He said.

"Aye sir!" The blue haired cat replied and they went over to the job board. Everyone was amazed at how Rex had stood up to Erza without so much as batting an eyelid and what's more, Erza conceded on his point.

"Incredible. I've never seen anyone do that before!" Levy said in awe, blushing as she continued to look at Rex.

"Makes you wonder just how strong he is." Jet commented.

"That was done like a real man!" Elfman piped up.

Cana grinned as she held a mug of beer in her "The kid's gotta lot of guts to stand up for Erza, that's for sure. Makes you wonder what he did back in wherever he came from."

That gave the barmaid an idea and when she brought some beers over to Wakaba and Macao, returned back to Rex who was sitting at the bar, discussing something with Greninja. "Rex, can I ask you something?" She asked a tad nervously.

"Hmm? Yes you can." The Multitype trainer replied and Greninja looked at the white haired Mage as well.

"Do you... do you miss your world? Your family?" She asked carefully.

Rex looked mildly surprised at the question. He was expecting it to be something along the lines of what Plates he unlocked. But missing his home? Rex didn't answer but looked out the Guild Hall and began contemplating what had happened to him, including his loss, when he became a trainer, the time when he found each member, battled every rival, found his first Mega Stone as well as all the fun times he shared back home with the people he had met on his journey. When Rex touched his cheek, he was surprised to find that there were tears rolling down them.

"Is something the matter?" Mirajane asked anxiously.

Rex wiped them and shook his head. "Nah, of course not. I do miss them, but Fairy Tail is also like a family. One big, rowdy family." He smiled and everyone around him began cheering in approval of those words.

The cheering was soon interrupted by the voices of Natsu and Happy arguing about fish. This surprised Rex, mainly because he knew that Natsu would more often than not get into arguments with Gray more than anyone else, which then ended in a Guild brawl half the time. "I was the one who recommended the job, so I should say what we do with them! You're not the boss of me!" Natsu argued.

"When has you picking the job got to do anything with you saying what we do with the fish Natsu?" Happy retorted, with a fierce glare.

"It has everything to do with what we do with the fish and I say we barbeque them, eating them raw would only make me sick!" Natsu raised his voice.

"But cooking fish will only make them harder to chew, it's much easier to eat them raw!'" Happy replied angrily, raising his voice.

"MAYBE NEXT TIME YOU SEE A JOB INVOLVING FISH YOU SHOULD GO ON YOUR OWN! YOU CAN EAT ALL THE FISH YOU WANT, HOW YOU WANT IT!"

"NEXT TIME YOU SHOULDN'T BE GREEDY AND KEEP HOGGING ALL THE FISH TO YOURSELF!"

"I HATE YOU! I WISH WE'D NEVER EVEN MET!" They both shouted at the same time and Happy flew away in tears. Natsu walked out of the Guild Hall grumbling. By the time the argument had reach its climax, Mira had gone down followed by Lucy. Rex sighed and after a while, he followed Natsu to outside as well.

"Need some company?" Rex asked quietly.

Natsu glared at him for a moment before saying. "At least it isn't that ice stripping freak."

Rex took that as a yes and sat down. "It would've been beast to just agree to share some of the fish with him and let him eat it raw while you cook it." He paused for a moment and remembered something that he wanted to get off his chest. "How did you meet Happy anyway? He isn't most cats, since they usually don't talk and sprout wings so he can carry you?"

Natsu frowned for a moment before saying. "Would you believe me if I said that Happy hatched from an egg?"

"An egg?" Rex asked, caught off guard by that statement. Of all the weird things he heard, this definitely had to take the biscuit.

* * *

**Underneath the Guild Hall, with Mira**

The basement underneath the Main Hall was one mostly used for archiving Fairy Tail's history, members and jobs and clients as well. Lucy looked around in amazement for a while, she briefly forgot what she was going to say whilst Mira was busy sorting out odd bits of paper.

"It's unusual to see Natsu and Happy getting into an argument." Lucy remarked.

Mirajane nodded in agreement. "They don't often, but when they do it's usually almost always about fish. Oops!" She said as a piece of paper slipped out and fell to the floor. She would've grabbed it, but that meant losing her balance on the ladder and falling off. Lucy picked it up and saw that it was a picture of Fairy Tail members when they were younger. She immediately recognised some of the people on there, including Natsu, Gray, Erza, even Cana and Laxus. She was surprised to see what looked like a younger Elfman in a suit though and there was three people who she didn't recognise. The first was the creature the Natsu was riding on. It had wings and a colour scheme that looked suspiciously like Happy.

The other two she didn't recognise did not even look related. The first was a young girl with short white hair and blue eyes. She wore a pink outfit with a red bow at the top along with red shoes. The second girl was taller, had longer white hair that was tied back in a ponytail and wore a revealing gothic outfit.

"Who are those people Mira?" Lucy asked, pointing them out to Mira.

"That one Natsu is riding on is Happy, the one on the left is my sister Lisanna and the one to her right is me." She said, and there was a hint of sadness in her tone.

Lucy was shocked. "You? But that's impossible!" She cried in disbelief. Mirajane shook her head and began telling her what had happened approximately 6 years ago.

* * *

**Back outside...**

"I don't believe it." Rex said, and began to pale. Natsu had told him that he and Gray fought back then as well, which Rex expected. What Rex didn't see coming was the fact that 6 years ago, Erza and Mira of all people wound up fighting as well much like Natsu and Gray.

"It's true though, and it's all the more annoying that Erza went on about us not fighting whilst she and Mira would throw down on a regular basis." Natsu looked ahead, fuming in anger.

"At least two of you managed to group up and make up." Rex teased and Natsu gave him a pained look. "Ahem, sorry carry on."

(Flashback)

_It had been quite some time since Natsu joined the Guild and he was known to everyone for getting into fights with Gray in particular, not that anybody minded. Though on some occasions they wanted peace and quiet, which was something seen sparingly._

_"Hey you guys, check it out!" Natsu said one day with a grin on his face, as he was carrying an object. Said object was a white egg almost as big as him, with various blue marks on it that attracted everyone's attention._

_"Finally, you found something useful to do. That'll make an excellent meal." A younger Gray snickered._

_"No way!" Natsu said and put the egg behind him protectively._

_"Gray, put some clothes on!" Cana groaned. Instead of having long hair that came down her body she had had it tied up behind her. Gray panicked._

_Makarov came over out of interest and looked at the egg. "What is it Natsu?" He asked kindly, not recognising it._

_"I found it in the East Forest and I think it's a Dragon Egg! It has marks that looks like a dragon's claw!" Natsu suggested and Gray scoffed._

_"Get real flame brain, there can't be any Dragon Eggs." He said and Natsu glared angrily at him. _

_"And you're supposed to be the smartass you icy stripper?" Natsu snapped back and they looked like were about to fight, but Natsu was obviously too excited to get into a fight with him. "Why don't you use Magic to hatch it Gramps?" He asked._

_"Magic cannot simply make life Natsu! These things have to take time!" Makarov objected firmly._

_"But waiting is boring!" Natsu whined._

_Erza came over. She had her hair tied back in a ponytail and only wore her Heart Kreuz Armour at the time, but was the youngest member to become an S-Class wizard. "I think it's a good idea for you to learn something about the importance of life Natsu." She said with a knowing smile._

_"Learning? That's for babies!" Natsu shook his head promptly._

_"At least babies are smarter than you Natsu." Gray insulted him and Natsu didn't even bother retorting. Instead he decided to let a fist do all the talking for him, and the two of them ended up in another fight, and it was only morning as well. Erza put her foot down and slammed the two of them together in order to make them stop, but that only elected growls from the two male Mages._

_"Look at those kids Wakaba. They may be explosive, but in the future that might be a good thing." Macao commented, watching the pair of them fight._

_Wakaba nodded. "You're right about that for one. Natsu was raised by a Dragon for starters, and Erza is our youngest S-Class Mage, beating Mirajane by a year or two." He said and glanced hesitantly at the short white haired girl._

_Mirajane was scowling at how Erza was forcing Natsu and Gray to cooperate with each other. She was very temperamental back in the day and often decided to have a little fun with Erza. "And _you_ are going to teach them _how_ Erza?" She asked coolly and began walked towards her._

_Erza merely scowled as she approached. "It wouldn't hurt them to understand how these things work, would it?" She asked just as coolly before the two of them butt heads with each other. Erza gave off a deadly red aura and glared back with a fierce._

_"Not as much as I'm gonna hurt you Erza Scarlet." Mirajane sneered, daring Erza to fight her._

_"You mean you're going to try." Erza countered and they stared each other down for a moment before getting into their own fistfight. Anybody with any sense nearby moved away as quickly as possible, since the fighting between Erza and Mirajane, who was also called the Demon of Fairy Tail back then, could get really rough. At least Natsu and Gray never used their Magic when they fought each other._

_"Man this stinks. How can Erza say we can't fight, yet she does with Mirajane?" Natsu and Gray complained in unison. The two of them glared at each other before huffing and looking away._

_Lisanna came over, and like her older sister was also curious about the egg. Back then she liked Natsu and felt more sympathetic to him than her older sister, which was a major difference between the two of them. "Natsu, I could help you hatch the egg if you want to." She asked quietly._

_Natsu blushed. "Um, of course I'd like your help Lisanna." He said rather quickly._

_"Well... to hatch the egg you first gotta warm it. But not like that!" Lisanna protested suddenly, as Natsu decided to heat it up with his Fire Dragon Slayer Magic. "If you do that you'll kill it. This is how you heat it up." She prompted the concentrated before turning into a hen like bird with her Take Over: Animal Soul and sitting on top of it._

_Natsu's eyes widened slightly. "How long is it going to take?" He asked._

_"It could take a long time or not long at all." Lisanna said and Natsu just stared at her. "I don't know Natsu." She sighed and Natsu began grumbling, but not out loud._

_A younger Elfman looked on jealously and sighed. "Man, I wish could do a Full Body Take Over..." He contemplated moodily. He was a lot more timid back then, and was an excellent cook as well._

_"Don't be discouraged Elfman. You'll be able to do a Take Over like that soon enough." Makarov said, in a successful attempt to cheer him up and Elfman nodded in agreement._

_Lisanna and Natsu began walking towards a small straw hut which currently served as his home, but as they got closer the Egg jolted suddenly within Natsu's hand. "Huh, what's happening?" He asked, and began to panic._

_Lisanna laid a hand on the warm egg gently. "There is no need to be frightened Natsu. That just means it's going to hatch soon." She explained as they sat down and laid the Egg on the straw. "Where do you eat? It doesn't look like you can here." She asked._

_"I usually always eat at the Guild Hall, preferably when that icy creep isn't around." Natsu grumbled._

_Lisanna began smiling at Natsu. "You know, we could be a family. You're the father, I'm the mother and the egg is our child that we could raise." Natsu began blushing at this and Lisanna couldn't help but giggle at this. Her housesitting with the egg would carry on for some time, as Natsu went out on jobs, Lisanna would spend most of her time at his house, using her Take Over to warm the egg up. Over time, the egg began jolting and jerking suddenly on a more frequent basis, and that got Natsu all fired up._

_Back at the Guild Hall Macao and Wakaba were discussing the two of them. It had soon become common knowledge that Natsu and Lisanna were hatching the egg together. "It's hardly surprising to see Natsu and Lisanna getting along so well, she's such a nice girl." Macao observed._

_"Yeah, I'm not surprised either. Lisanna is such a nice person and I think Natsu has a crush on her." Wakaba said slyly and Macao nearly choked on his beer. They little joke was interrupted when Mira trashed the table and defeated them with relative ease, and her anger had slowly been building up over the past few days and she couldn't keep it in any longer._

_"I can't believe Lisanna, abandoning me in favour of some wimpy kid who obeys Erza. She's fraternising with my enemy!" She yelled and the Guild Hall began trembling in fear (bar a few people). _

_Natsu and Lisanna were heading towards the East Forest with the Egg in his hands, because she wanted to know where he had found the egg. They were walking for what felt like ages, but Natsu was determined to press on. Unfortunately for both of them a large ape like creature had followed them. It was a Vulcan, but not like the mountain variety that Rex had encountered, because it was green and purple instead of white and grey._

_"Looks like you're smart enough to bring me lunch." The Vulcan, more accurately a Gorian, snickered._

_Natsu on the other hand gave the egg to Lisanna. "Run back to the Guild Hall right now, I can handle this." He said in a serious tone, but Lisanna was concerned for him and didn't want him to get seriously hurt._

_"Now make this easy for me, what can a puny kiss like you do?" Gorian leered at Natsu who charged at him and punched it several times in the stomach. "That was supposed to hurt? How about this?" Gorian sneered and sent Natsu packing into a tree with just one swipe._

_"Natsu, use you Magic!" Lisanna cried, and tears were beginning to well up._

_"No! I can do this on my own Lisanna. If I'm the father, then I have to protect it and you." Natsu said and charged the Gorian again, however it was simply too strong for Natsu and kept swatting him aware with sheer strength._

_"At least let me help you Natsu!" Lisanna pleaded._

_"Don't worry I've got this one Lisanna." Natsu assured her then turned to face it again. "When I defeat you, I'll paint you white and send you to Mt. Hakobe, you hear me?" He growled._

_The Gorian then got really angry. "You'll regret that remark!" It shouted out of pure rage and jumped on Natsu, sending him flying yet again into a tree. But this time Natsu used the force to go right back at the Gorian and defeat him with a single headbutt, and the Gorian fell down on the floor in defeat._

_Later, they were back in hut and Lisanna asked a question. "Natsu, can I do the cooking? I'm just going to say that I'm not as good as Mira or Elfman."_

_Natsu grabbed the Egg protectively. "Don't cook this! It could be Igneel's child!" He said quickly._

_Lisanna giggled. "Of course not silly." She replied and used her Take Over to become a rabbit and dig up some vegetables. When she returned she looked at Natsu affectionately, and after a meal the two of them decided they would look after the Egg, but when they slept the Egg became cold and a shadow fell over the sleeping pair._

_The following day when Natsu found out the egg when missing he got really angry and Lisanna was upset. When he charged into the Guild Hall, everyone looked at him with startled expressions as he began to randomly accuse people of stealing the egg. "Gray! You stole it!" Natsu shouted._

_"Don't be such an idiot Natsu, I haven't got it." Gray said, shaking his head._

_"Laxus!" Natsu accused, pointing at the S-Class wizard._

_Laxus wore a simple yellow polo shirt along with his signature magical headphones and was currently holding a mug of beer. "I ain't interested in it Natsu." He said casually._

_"Aaaaw! You're so cute when you're angry Natsu!" Mirajane said mockingly, but deep down she also liked the dragon slayer. _

_"Don't tease him, Mira! Have you seen it?" Lisanna pouted and made a face._

_"No, though I bet Erza ate it. She's such a pig!" Mirajane smirked as the scarlet Mage picked up on it._

_Erza noisily stomped over. "Are you sure you haven't gained any weight Mira?" She retaliated and it looked as if there was going to be yet another fight._

_A nervous male voice stopped that fight from happening though. "I'm sorry Natsu, I couldn't just let it stay cold like that so I took it home with me and kept it warm there." It was Elfman, suit and all, carrying the egg with a fair amount of effort. Everyone relaxed, but Natsu now looked annoyed rather than angry._

_"If you wanted to big brother you should've asked." Lisanna pointed out and Elfman blushed._

_Then the egg jolted and an audible crack. Everyone froze and looked over at the end which Elfman had now set down on the floor, and a crowd had slowly gathered around to watch it hatch. Even Laxus, Erza and Mirajane were interested, the latter two forgetting about their feud and were fuelled with intrigue. The egg jolted and cracked several more times, and then the loudest crack of all could be heard and it hatched with a blinding glow and everyone shielded their eyes._

_When it faded there was a small blue cat with a cream underbelly, a small tail and a pair of two small wings. More notably, he was smiling in his fitful sleep in a way that could only be described as cute. "Look at him!" Lisanna cried, breaking the silence, and everyone cheered once in agreement._

_Natsu continued looking at the cat and smiled. "He looks like a blue bundle of happiness. I'll call him Happy!" He declared._

_The blue cat's, no Happy's ear twitched and it was obvious that he agreed with the name as he jumped up and shouted in a squeaky voice, "Aye sir!" After he hatched there was a celebration for Natsu's new partner and a new Guild Member._

* * *

**Underneath the Guild Hall, with Lucy**

Lucy remained silent after Mira finished her story, undeniably amazed at all that. "That is some story Mira. But why does Happy look like that?" The Celestial Wizard asked, pointing towards the blue dragon on the picture.

"Uh-huh." Plue nodded, looking up at the two of them.

"That's what Natsu thought Happy was going to become so he had Reedus paint it that way." Mira pointed as she began putting the books back and Lucy handed the picture back. But there was one question on her mind that she couldn't bear asking, where is Lisanna?

**Outside the Guild Hall, with Natsu**

Rex took in a deep breath after a long silence. There was a lot to take in. Some of it was not surprising, like Natsu still fighting Gray since his first day at the Guild and that Gray still stripped. There was a lot that did surprise him, first and foremost being how Mira and Elfman almost looked as if they were playing a role reversal when you looked at the two of them nowadays. The other was the fact that Laxus sounded a lot nicer back then and he asked, "What happened to Laxus? He seemed a lot nicer back then." He commented.

"I don't know, but one day I'm going to kick his ass!" Natsu growled and ignited one of his fists.

Rex chuckled and he wasn't surprised by this declaration. He wanted to ask the other thing on his mind, and could hazard a guess as to where this was going. "So... What happened to Lisanna?" He asked quietly and Natsu looked pained.

"That happened two years ago and..." Natsu began, explaining about a job that Mirajane had taken.

(Flashback)

_The Strauss siblings were going on an S-Class quest courtesy of Mirajane, and when Natsu and Happy heard of it they were outraged that neither of them were allowed on and marched over to a place that was not too far away from where there ace member, Gildarts. Lisanna's hair was longer, and she wore a short, dark red dress with a white collar and bow. Up on her arms above her elbows, she wore gold rings with a pale pink fabric flowing down from it. She wore tall, black socks along with brown shoes._

_"What do you mean no?" Natsu whined as he looked at Lisanna. Mirajane was the only sibling who was watching from the tree._

_"I'm sorry Natsu, but Mira only wanted the two of us to go on this job with her. Maybe next time Mira goes on an S-Class request you can come with us." Lisanna smiled._

_"But then I'll be on my own with Happy!" He persisted._

_Lisanna giggled. "Then you can take care of him just like the old days." She suggested and Happy caught onto that statement._

_"What does that mean?" He asked, having never heard of the time when Natsu found him as an egg._

_"But I'm worried about you! You could get hurt!" Natsu protested in a last attempt to get on._

_"There is no need to worry about me Natsu, I have Mira and Elfman to protect me from any danger, and if worst comes to worst I can always perform a Full Body Take Over and get out along with my brother and sister." Lisanna assured him and held his hands in her._

_"She liiiikes you." Happy teased and Lisanna couldn't help but laugh as Natsu began to chase his blue furred companion._

_"I've got to go now. See ya Natsu!" Lisanna said loudly and began running towards her siblings._

_"Take care Lisanna!" Natsu shouted back._

_"Don't forget to bring me some fish!" Happy shouted even louder._

_Their mission was to free a small town from a creature known as the Beast. Several other attempts had previously failed and the town had decided to ask Fairy Tail this time round. When the Beast had encountered them there was huge battle and both Lisanna and Mira had suffered from moderate injuries. Elfman was not as lucky because he tried to Take Over the beast and it failed, as it continued to go on a rampage._

_"Elfman!" Mirajane cried and turned to an unconscious Lisanna. "Lisanna, please get up." She please and after a bit of prompting Lisanna came round and stood up._

_"I'm fine Mira, focus on Elfman." She said, remaining calm in spite of the situation._

_The Beast seemed to sense them and looked over towards the pair of battered Mages and began to lumber over. Mirajane began wondering how they were going to stop the Beast and save Elfman at the same time when she noticed something that she didn't want to see. "Lisanna!" Mirajane cried out in fear._

_"Everything will be fine, right big brother? I know you can hear me Elfman, you can control it can't you? When this is over, we can get Happy some fish." Lisanna said, spreading out her arms, whilst she ignored Mirajane._

_"Please Lisanna get back!" Mira shouted._

_"You know I'm right big brother, you can control the Beast, because I've always believed in you and never lost faith. So come on, let's all do a Full Body Take Over." Lisanna smiled. It was to be her last as she died in one fell swoop._

_"LISANNA!" Mirajane shouted and ran over to her younger sister._

_"M-mira... it's so dark, but I can hear you..." Lisanna said, trying to turn her neck but being unable to. It was the last thing Mirajane heard from her and she screamed her deceased sister's name. _

_When the news broke of what unfolded, everyone couldn't think. The Guild Hall felt empty, as if the heart had been ripped out from Fairy Tail because everyone liked Lisanna, Natsu and her siblings even more so. After that fateful day it rained in Magnolia Town non-stop for several days as if Earthland itself was crying for Lisanna. She was officially buried in Kardia Cathedral but there was a second grave near the straw hut._

_Natsu stood there glaring down at the other grave as if it had offended him. This was exactly what he was concerned about and he was angry about the fact that had he been there things would've definitely gone different._

_Elfman was heavily bandaged, particularly around his right eye. He began crying. "Lisanna is dead... and it's all my fault. Because I wasn't strong enough to control the Beast." He began to sob and was surprised when Natsu punched him._

_"Shut up!" The Dragon Slayer shouted. "And stop crying, Lisanna wouldn't want that! A real man would think about the future!" Natsu added, growling as he did so._

_"A real man..." Elfman thought and a determined look crossed his face._

Rex looked at Natsu for several moments and then asked something. "And as a result of her death, Mira and Elfman are what we see now?" It was an obvious question, but Rex felt it was the only thing he could ask. Deep down he understood and realised that Natsu, Mirajane and Elfman all blamed themselves for her death. Natsu appeared to be the only one to get completely over it however, and whilst Elfman could fight it sounded as if he couldn't do a complete Take Over. Mira was unquestionably the hardest hit by this event, as she could no longer used her Take Over, which was called Satan Soul.

Rex stood up and Natsu asked, "Where are you goin'?"

The Multitype user turned his head slightly. "I wanna pay my respects to Lisanna." He said simply. There was also another reason he wanted to go. Two years prior was the time he came to his hometown in Hoenn on the tenth anniversary of his parents death, and the fact made him smile in spite of what he was told.

A drop of rain fell on his nose and thunder rumbled. Rex looked up suddenly and saw that the clouds were covering the sky and it was beginning to rain, and he carried on to Kardia Cathedral. During that walk it began drizzling, then it actually started to rain quite heavily, accompanied by the occasional flash of lightning. But still he ignored that and carried on, and began walking amongst the gravestones until he eventually reached the one with Lisanna's name on it.

**Lisanna Strauss X768 ~ X782**

**Beloved sister and friend to animal souls.**

"So this is it. You know Lisanna, I never really got to see you. But I did hear a lot about you from Natsu in particular, and I'm sorry things turned out this way." Rex said, partly to himself and he sighed as he remembered the death of his own parents when he was only six. A movement from behind made him jump and turn around but Rex relaxed because it was only Mirajane, dressed in dark clothing as opposed to her normal long dress, holding an umbrella up

"Rex? What are you doing here?" She asked, also surprised.

"I wanted to pay my respects to her." He replied quietly and Mirajane looked into his eyes. They seemed to be understanding and searching at the same time. "Natsu told me what happened to her. And that reaction, to just stop like that with your Take Over, I understood that feeling once."

Mirajane was curious, and she took several steps closer to shelter Rex from the rain. "What do you mean?" She asked.

Rex didn't reply directly, but took something out from an inside jacket pocket. It was a small silver oval shaped locket with an engraving on it that said 27.06.04. Inside, there was a picture of two people. The one on the right was a woman with long wavy brown hair and blue eyes. On the left there was a taller man with short dark hair and grey eyes.

"Are they...?" Mirajane began, and could feel tears welling up in her eyes.

"Yeah, my parents. They both died in an accident when I was six, so I can't remember that much." Rex admitted, though in truth he was lying to her about how they died. He firmly believed that what had happened could not happen again, it was practically impossible form them to show up.

"How do you carry on?" Mirajane asked, sniffing.

"I cried a lot a first, but one day I just got fed up of crying and decided that doing so wasn't going to solve anything. It made me the trainer I am today, and I do really miss them when I want to Mira. You blame yourself for what happened that day don't you? Just as much as Natsu and Elfman does, perhaps even more." Rex said somberly, and Mirajane stood there for a moment before hugging him tightly and she began crying into his shirt. The white haired Trainer smiled gently and hugged Mirajane back whilst not saying a word. It was best for her to let it all out right now.

When she managed to finally release her grip on him Rex grinned his normal grin. "Don't cry now Mira, a beautiful face like that should smile like the sun." He said and a small semitransparent orange orb appeared in his hand. Rex chucked it at the sky and three shockwaves spread out, stopping the rain and clearing the clouds to let the sun shine through.

"You're right of course." Mirajane acknowledged once she let her awe pass at how Rex could seemingly control the weather. They hugged each other again, but this time is felt different, like two old friends reuniting after not seeing each other for a very long time. Deep down, Mirajane realised that all this time she had been crying for Lisanna, and experienced that nightmare over and over with it playing out differently - in some cases she would die instead of her younger sister.

"Come on now, let's go back to the Guild Hall." Rex suggested and Mirajane nodded in reply.

* * *

**At the Guild Hall, a couple of minutes earlier**

Back at Fairy Tail, several people wanted to know where Rex had gone off to. Those people were Greninja, Gardevoir and Lucy. They knew that Natsu was the last person to see him and they wanted to know where he was before finding Rex.

"Kardia Cathedral?" Gardevoir confirmed.

Natsu nodded somberly. "Yea, he's not going on a dangerous job or anything, so he should be back soon." He replied.

Erza came down and was glowering, she had been looking for him as well and was also having hard luck. "Well I can't see why he would go out of the Guild Hall with this sort of weather." She said, indicating the rain.

Everyone jumped suddenly when 3 orange shockwaves spread across the sky and within a minute the storm had parted to give way for sunshine. "What was that?" Erza asked, alarmed.

"...I think that was Sunny Day. Rex can also change the weather using certain moves, which affects us. Since the sunlight is intense, Fire moves gain a boost in power whilst Water moves are weakened. The other weather he can set it to are hail, rain and sandstorm. Some of us even have abilities which kick in when under certain weather conditions. Swift Swim is one such ability. During rain the pokemons speed increases." Gardevoir explained and Erza's eyes widened slightly. She couldn't help but wonder what else pokemon were capable of.

Gardevoir smiled as she could see Erza attempting to hide her surprise and interest, but she didn't bother revealing it. "You know, I think he could be interested in getting a place of his own. But for now Rex would rent before actually buying a home. I heard him mentioning it once or twice on the way back to the Guild Hall."

Erza looked genuinely surprised. "I didn't hear him." She admitted reluctantly.

"Probably because you weren't paying attention. I could feel your determination to ensure that Natsu and the others were punished for their actions." Gardevoir pointed out with a small smile and turned as she felt Rex getting closer.

What the Guild wasn't expecting was for Rex of all people to return with Mirajane, who had her usual smile on her face, especially Elfman. Earlier, some people had noticed the white haired woman walk out quietly and were feeling sympathetic towards her, and Elfman in particular felt guilty for what happened two years ago. He was about to speak to Rex, but Erza beat him to the punch... or word in this case.

"What were you two doing outside?" She asked both curiously and tersely.

"We did some walking and we had a chat. Is that bothering you?" He asked suspiciously, then broke out into a grin. "If that really does bother you than you may strike me down for my penance." Rex added jokingly and the whole Guild Hall laughed at that, including Elfman and Mirajane.

Erza blushed and shook her head. "No, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have been prying into a conversation that was supposed to be private." She said stiffly.

Rex raised an eyebrow, unsure if she was telling the truth. "Really? Because you seemed interested in it." He replied sceptically.

"I'm telling you it's the truth. Why would I be interested in that conversation anyway?" She asked briskly.

"Okay, I believe you." Rex said as he sat down. Since he didn't have the mind Plate he couldn't feel Erza's true emotions, which were a strange mix of curiosity and denial with a hint of jealously.

"She liiiikes you." Happy said teasingly and tried his nest to run away from Erza. The S-Class wizard fwas too fast for him unfortunately and she dragged him outside to have a private chat.

"Don't be ridiculous Happy." Rex said and he rolled his eyes.

"Big sis... what happened?" Elfman asked, also tense.

Mirajane realised that several others were also listening, as they didn't quite believe what Rex had said earlier. "I'll tell you later Elfman, okay?" She said and everyone around her accepted that, albeit somewhat grudgingly.

"Man, it looks as if Erza and Mira are falling for him as well. He's probably the luckiest man in Fairy Tail right now Macao." Wakaba commented to his friend and blew a smoke ring.

Macao nodded as he held up a mug of beer. "Yeah and Cana has taken a liking to him as well, but that's just because he made her a lot of money by defeating Natsu." He theorised.

Loke overheard the conversation and began slumping in his seat. The way he saw Rex treat his pokemon reminded him of something that happened several years ago. _Don't bring that up Loke, you'll only make yourself feel worse about what happened to her. _He thought then smacked himself out of his thought.

One of the two girls with him noticed his brooding and asked, "Is something wrong Loke?"

Loke jolted out of his thoughts and turned to her. "No, right now I need some time to be alone and think several things over, OK?" He smiled, but tried not to show any of his sadness. Gardevoir was too busy talking with Rex to take notice of it. The two girls he was sitting with followed him to make sure that Loke didn't do anything reckless or stupid, but the orange haired Mage accepted their company.

* * *

**Later that Night, the Strauss resident**

Mirajane was busy doing the cleaning up before she would head off to bed. Today had been a more tiring day than most, but talking with Rex and exchanging stories of what each other experienced was something that helped lighten the mood. Elfman was dozing, but not fully asleep yet as he would grumble and turn occasionally and Rex was sleeping in the living room. Since the evening was mostly spent at the Guild Hall with the others she couldn't risk telling in case anyone heard.

Mirajane let out a small sigh of relief now that she had finished cleaning up and turned her attention to what Rex had said to her at Lisanna's grave. "You got fed up of crying and moved on, despite losing you parents. I lost Lisanna, but as a result I'm still unable to use my Take Over." She said sadly and bit her lip. Did this mean that all this time she was crying on the inside like she had first suspected at Kardia Cathedral? There certainly was a lot going for that, as Elfman was able to perform his Take Over despite not being able to do a Full Body Take Over and Natsu was still using his Dragon Slayer Magic in spite of the fact that Igneel had disappeared one day. In fact, there were many people in the Guild who had lost someone precious to them and maybe Lucy was no exception either.

"Come on now Mira, you've got to stop thinking like that. Think positive." She quietly berated herself and she crept out into the hallway upstairs. There, she focused on trying to get her Magic to start up again at first before performing a Take Over. "Concentrate." She said and closed her eyes.

The first few attempts were unsuccessful despite Mirajane concentrating as hard as she could. She thought for a moment, then remembered what Rex had said to her._ '__You blame yourself for what happened that day don't you? Just as much as Natsu and Elfman does, perhaps even more.'_ "Does this mean I have to stop blaming myself? I suppose... if it were me that day, I probably would've done the same thing for Lisanna." She admitted to herself and resolved to try just one more time.

Mirajane took several deep breaths in order to calm herself down and focused once more, but harder than the last time. She felt a sudden surge of magical energy, but was disappointed when she realised that doing a Take Over was still out of reach right now. At the same time she was satisfied with what had happened, as it was a clear sign to her of progress.

"Big sis, what are you doing?" Elfman asked, making her jump. He had suddenly woken up when he felt a strange magical presence, one he had last felt two years prior and wanted to check on her.

"Nothing worrying Elfman." Mirajane replied nervously, but her brother didn't move. "I'm sorry for not telling you earlier, but when I went to visit Lisanna's grave I found Rex there, telling me about how he lost his parents when he was younger and how he managed to move. It got me thinking that's all." She explained calmly.

After looking at her for a minute, Elfman decided she was telling the truth and replied, "Okay, but get some sleep big sis. You don't wanna turn up tired do ya?" He asked and Mirajane shook her head as she went to bed. Elfman did too, and pretended to be asleep. _Rex... be proud of the man you are. Your words have made a bigger impact than you think._ Elfman thought for a moment with a smile on his face, before finally getting some shut eye himself.

Rex opened his eyes a fraction and looked around as if expecting someone to come in. "Whozzair?" He croaked, and looked around before falling asleep again. Rex grumbled and tossed in his sleep, as he was having a dream about his family and the time when they passed away.

* * *

**And that's that. One more review to respond to and then some explanations.**

**LunaMaia424: **You know, I already had a few ideas about Attract being used by accident but now I thought of something that is down right hilarious. The thought is enough to make me crack up. Keep reading to find out what exactly I thought of.

**Why did Rex lie?: **That is something I plan for the future, so expect something crazy and crazily awesome. Lots of action, some character development and character history unraveling. Same goes for all of his pokemon as well.

**Possible MiraxRex as well?: **Possibly, possibly not. I want it to be mainly OCxErza, but I might decide to do some teasing throughout the story.

**Next Time on Guardian Fairy - Changeling**

**Natsu recites a spell shortly before the Master returns, but said spell ends up swapping bodies! And if the spell cannot be reversed then they'll be stuck in their bodies. Forever! Can Levy of Team Shadow Gear save them from being in different bodies?**


	8. Changeling

**Only on review to respond to but I feel like I'm on a role. Expect the first Phantom Lord chapter to come in March, as well as something I can actually make use of that was touched early on in the fanfiction. If you know what it is then keep it to yourself or shoot me a PM.**

**ultima-owner: **Hehe, that would be pretty funny. Imagine Elfman and Gallade swapping, or Romeo and Aggron switching bodies, that would be very awkward. Well it's not like I rained on their... parade? Okay, bad joke is bad.

**Previously on Guardian Fairy - **

**Rex**: You know Father, I knew this world was strange, but I didn't know things could get this strange. Did you know that Happy was hatched out of an egg? I know that eggs get left in Daycares sometimes, but I wouldn't have thought something like that would happen here. Another thing I didn't know was that Mira was far rougher years ago, and you wouldn't believe it looking at her now. But apparently she had a younger sister who died two years on a really dangerous job. I had a talk with her after hearing the whole story and I also felt something weird last night. Is it one of my sudden cravings for blueberries?

* * *

**Chapter 8: Changeling**

It started off with the usual rowdiness in Fairy Tail, without the threat of an impending fight looming. Mira was serving beer, Cana was drinking from one of her wine barrels and so on. But when a magical letter came through with the news that Makarov was to return anytime today three members in particular began to start dreading the unnamed punishments. Natsu was running around the place in panic, ignoring the fact that he came close to starting a fight by accident. "When Gramps gets here we're so gonna die!" He began saying hysterically.

Gray was quaking nervously to the point where he forgot to strip unconsciously. "I don't wanna ever have to experience going through _that_ again. The last time it happened..." He began but the memory was clearly to traumatic for him to recount.

"You know you're only making me feel more and more nervous about _that_." Lucy cried and she was shaking as well, but not out of knowledge.

Rex sighed and looked up from reading through a flyer. "Can't you guys just relax? It's probably not that bad in the first place and you should get punished for what you did Natsu. Honestly, you're making a mountain out of a molehill." Rex tutted as he looked on in despair and shook his head. Greninja also looked up but said nothing, and he was helping his trainer look through the flyer as well.

"What did you say?" Natsu said, annoyed at his comments.

Erza walked up with a smile on her face. "Rex is right Natsu. Any and all Guild members who break the rules should accept their punishment wisely." She pointed out and several people seemed to agree with her. "What are you reading through Rex?" Erza asked as she walked over towards the white haired Trainer.

Rex looked back up and showed Erza the flyer. "This? It's just a flyer advertising for several houses and apartments across Magnolia and I've considered renting, which means I'll now need a share of the money I get from doing jobs with Natsu." He explained. The flyer in question had several pen marks to show interest in some of them whilst others that didn't generate enough interest were crossed out. In some cases they were crossed out for not meeting his needs.

The Dragon Slayer heard the word job and then realised that there was a way of getting out of this. "Come on Happy, I'm bored of waiting around here, so why don't get another job?" He asked.

"Aye!" The blue furred cat agreed and they ran over to the request board.

Rex was pointing out how he and Greninja began discussing exactly where they wanted to rent and were decided on the main factors influencing their decision being space and cost, especially considering how two of his Pokemon were taller than Elfman, and that really was saying something. He was looking for something with a realistic rent that was fairly spacious and access to a wide space that Rex could potentially use as training grounds.

Rex stopped his line of thought when he saw the request board and who was standing next to it. At first he saw nothing wrong but then twigged and smiled nervously. "Oh no, I think you should stop Natsu." He said and Erza then noticed as well.

"You are not taking a job just as Makarov is about to come back to Fairy Tail Natsu." Erza said coolly and attempted to glare at them.

But it appeared that since Natsu wasn't looking at her directly he wasn't affected by her signature stares. Either that or he was more focused on finding a job to do so he could avoid being punished. "How about this one? It's a translation job and the reward is 500,000 Jewel." He said eagerly, ignoring Erza, and Rex felt the pull of the reward on him.

"Aye sir!" Happy replied cheerfully and Natsu set it down on a table and began looking at it in detail.

"Are you listening to me?" Erza said as she raised her voice.

"Err Natsu, are you sure this is a good idea?" Rex asked cautiously, his sixth sense telling him something was going to go wrong but didn't know what.

Natsu stared at the piece of paper to make sense of what was written down and then began pronouncing some sort of weird spell in a language that Rex had never heard before and then there was a bright yellow flash of light. When it faded, the silence broke as everyone around them assumed that nothing had happened when Natsu recited the spell.

"Erza" sighed in relief and turned to face "Rex" "Now that's over and done with, I would like to challenge you Rex Vermend." She said. What made the request slightly odd was that Happy was the one issuing the challenge and it was in Happy's voice. Several people including Rex looked on in confusion.

"Uh, can you run that by me again Erza?" Loke asked with a frown on his face as he got up and walked over looking confused primarily because everything now looked like it was tinted with blue. The two women he was with began sulking.

"As I said Loke, I want to fight Rex and test how strong he is." Happy/Erza stated.

"Okay, expect there are two problems with what you're asking. One, why do you look like Happy Erza and two, my name is Rex not Loke." Loke/Rex pointed out worriedly and a few heads began turning.

"Aaaah! I didn't do anything Erza I swear!" Rex/Loke cried in fear and quickly backed away.

"Why am I so damn hot?" Natsu moaned as he drooled fire.

Elfman scowled, not catching on to the weirdness of the situation. "Man up Natsu! You're not this wimpy over the warmth." He said.

"Why am I so damn cold?" Gray complained as he was shivering and drooling icy water.

"And the same could be said about you being cold. Especially considering how you strip whenever you see fit." Elfman said, though he raised his eyebrow because he suspected something odd was up.

"What is this feeling, am I intoxicated? I think I'm going to be sick." Cana moaned as she flopped over a barrel that she was sitting on. The mug of beer slipped out of her hand and it spilt all over the floor.

"What the heck? Why is my tongue around my neck and why do I feel like I've gotten smaller and sober?" Greninja queried and looked around at the Guild Hall.

_Okay, something is seriously wrong here._ The remaining guild members thought as every head was focused on the scene unfolding before them.

"Woah!" Erza/Happy cried out as he/she looked in a mirror. "I've gotten taller and now I have boobs."

However Happy/Erza looked irritated and turned to face him/herself and I have to stop doing this sometime soon. "Well don't just stand there Happy, give me back my body." Happy/Erza commanded, glaring at the opposite person. However since it was Happy's face doing the glaring and not Erza it wasn't scariest in the slightest.

"I don't know how!" Erza/Happy wailed and a few guild members began chuckling at the sight of this out of character behaviour. However when Happy/Erza attempted to intimidate them, they burst out laughing and Happy/Erza drooped his (?) head in defeat.

Meanwhile, Cana/Greninja attempted to walk normally but since Greninja was now in her body he could feel the effects of the alcohol and stumbled forwards for a minute. Then she stopped and leant against a table for a minute before attempting to walk forwards yet again and tripping over something.

"Watch what you're doing with my body why don't ya?" Greninja/Cana said and rushed over to the swapped counterpart and began dragging her body up on a bench.

"You should take your own advise and stop drinking the liquor, are you trying to poison yourself?" Cana/Greninja complained and lunged for her/him, no her. Greninja/Cana dodged it by leaping higher than Fairy Tail's heaviest drinker expected and Cana/Greninja crashed into another bench and several Mages jumped out of the way.

"Why do I have to be in this freaks body? Gimme my body back!" Natsu and Grey in their opposite bodies shouted simultaneously before lunging at each other, then they yelped as fire and ice fell onto the bodies they were currently staying in because they weren't used to it.

"Stop it both of you!" Lucy cried as she did her best to separate the pair of them. Happy/Erza came over in an attempt to hit them on the head, but then she realised Happy would be physically incapable and turned to Erza/Happy.

"Quickly!" The cat commanded. "Requip into an armour and stop them!"

Erza/Happy gulped nervously and nodded then flashed and requipped into not an armour but a different costume, a swimming suit of all things. Loke/Rex felt himself blush when he realised how good Erza looked without her armour, but it faded quickly when he realised that Happy was currently in Erza's body. He felt himself blush out of embarrassment this time and silently vowed to never mention this incident again.

Rex/Loke obviously agreed with this but walked over to one of his female companions and swept her off her feet. "It doesn't matter what body I wear, as long as it's me you're going out with." He said with a seductive smile on his face and the girl seemed to agree with this right up until Loke/Rex yanked him away.

"OH NO!" Rex roared as he pulled his body away. "You are not to seduce anyone until we're back in our own bodies understand? I don't want you attracting anyone and have them find out that I cheated on them and then I'm the one that gets slapped for it. This ain't Into the Realm of the Fairies!"

Rex/Loke didn't say anything except "...attract?" Subconsciously, and two rows of pink coloured hearts appeared from his hands and one row circled Happy and Natsu whilst the other row circled Lucy and Cana then they closed each other, and a bigger heart appeared with a pink flash.

Nothing happened for a few moment until Happy/Erza looked into Natsu/Gray's eyes and the of them began breathing heavily and then they looked into each others eyes. "You know, I never realised just how handsome you look Gray." Happy/Erza began with a look of adoration on his face as Erza used his Aera and flew over to the pink haired Mage.

Natsu/Grey returned the favour. "Yeah... you look so beautiful I could die for you, and I wouldn't mind doing so with this idiots body all things considered." He complimented before the two drew each other into a warm embrace and they began kissing each other lip to lip.

Heads turned to Cana/Greninja and Lucy, with the former walking into the latter and they fell over onto a table and began having fun with each other, occasionally rocking from side to side. "What we're doing may be illegal but I don't care - as long as we can be together forever." Cana/Greninja said lustfully.

"Yes, because you are the only one that's important." Lucy blushed before they began kissing each other with the Celestial Wizard sticking her tongue into Cana/Greninja's mouth.

Nobody moved as everyone felt their jaw dropped and the reaction was decidedly mixed. Most were appropriately and suitably horrified by the sight before them. They would also most likely be scarred as despite the fact that they weren't all in their own bodies, for Loke to not understand how to control Rex's powers was something he could never have kept in check. Even Mirajane was unable to speak at the unfolding scene that happened before her, at least she managed to carry on speaking after Lisanna's unfortunate demise because it was sad, words failed to come to her in this case.

Loke/Rex was initially shocked as well and felt himself trembling in anger and he turned to face Rex/Loke with a fierce glare that could easily rival Erza. To everyone's surprise he picked up his body and began shaking it hard. "HOW THE HELL DID YOU USE ATTRACT SUBCONSCIOUSLY? WELL DONE LOKE FOR SCARRING EVERYONE!" Loke/Rex bellowed so loudly that practically everyone in Magnolia heard him and they began wondering what he was losing his mind, and a dark aura gathered around the orange haired Mage's body. "YOU BETTER BE GRATEFUL THAT IT WASN'T HYPER BEAM OR ELSE THE GUILD HALL WOULD BE LOSING A WALL OR A MEMBER!" Having said that he threw Rex/Loke towards a wall knowing full well that he would probably have to deal with his own pain and he cooled down. "Just don't do anything else stupid here ok?" He requested.

Everyone in the guild continue staring at Loke/Rex in silent amazement. They had seen him annoyed, primarily at Natsu and Gray but never angry on this scale. Suddenly the idea of being frightened by Erza didn't seem that bad in comparison to just how badly Rex had snapped at the unfolding scene. In his defence, Loke didn't understand how it work.

Rex/Loke nodded out of fear and began whimpering as an elderly voice began speaking only in mild amusement. "What's been going on here? I thought I heard Loke shouting, but now looking at things I can see something unusual is going on here." It was Makarov who then saw the two love pairs and paled but managed to keep his composure.

Once Mirajane had explained the situation (as well as some of the antics that ensured) Makarov scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm, so after reading that spell there was a flash of light and several people swapped bodies eh? How I'd like to swap with Mira!" He chuckled and stopped when he felt Loke/Rex glaring at him. "Ahem, but now is not the time. Where is the job request?" Makarov asked hastily.

"Here." Mirajane said, passing the paper.

Makarov studied it for a moment before saying anything. "This is a Changeling spell. It causes whoever is nearby once the incantation is read out to switch bodies with someone else as well as Magic. However, if the process is not reversed within a half hour to an hour then you'll be struck with said body forever." He explained.

"What?" Was the collective shout from everybody affected by this spell, including those who were now released from the hold of Attract, where the four affected played a strange game of keep away from each of them.

"But I don't wanna live in this freak of natures body forever!" Natsu and Gray protested simultaneously and they glared at each other, or themselves depending on how you want to look at it. They stared each other down for several moments before Natsu/Gray ran towards Gray/Natsu and rammed him with his body. The pair of mages were sent sprawling into a wall where they heard Natsu/Gray shout in a cool voice.

"**Fire Dragon's Roar!**" Natsu/Gray chanted. However, the fact that Gray had never actually used a Dragons Slayer spell resulted in the fire spreading wildly. Everyone jumped, ducked and did whatever was necessary to get the hell out of the way to avoid being scorched by the flames.

Grey/Natsu tried to perform an Ice Make spell and placed his right fist into his left palm. "**Ice Make: Lance!**" He retaliated. However like with Gray his spell wasn't exactly ice and more water which dissolved as soon as it hit the fire. Gray/Natsu felt the flames and jumped around in pain, yelping.

"Amazing, I'd never get to see the day when Natsu would be harmed by fire." Loke/Rex admitted, not willing to believe what was happen.

"That's Natsu and Gray for ya!" Erza/Happy agreed with a nod. Now, he had somehow managed to Requip into her Flame Empress Armour without realising and then requipped into several different outfits, with some being rather revealing.

"Control yourself, I mean myself, well you know what I mean Happy!" Happy/Erza shouted before jumped and attempting to hit the pair of them hard. This resulted in the now dual gendered cat jumping back in pain whereas the pair both took a few steps back with only a small grunt of acknowledgement.

"Well I don't mind staying in this body, I've always wanted to walk a mile in Erza's shoes." Erza/Happy admitted and that annoyed several of the other body swapped people.

"When I get back in my body you'll be asking for it Happy!" Happy/Erza declared in a not so scary tone.

"You may like being stuck in that body Happy, but I don't wanna look like Loke! Speaking of which your body feels really weird Loke, as in not like a normal Mage either who can use Magic. This feels like something higher than a human but I can't put my finger on it." Loke/Rex thought aloud, getting increasingly frustrated as the day went on. "So who can help us?"

"I can stop this madness." A confident female voice said from the entrance. It was Levy of Team Shadow Gear, along with Jet and Droy, having just finished a job. They had entered with Levy in the middle, Jet on the left and and Droy on the right. "I can reverse the Changeling spell, but it is going to take some time." She said and began immediately writing on a piece of paper and using a pair of Gale Force Reading Glasses to read through the spell many times and making plenty of notes during that time as well.

"Twenty minutes." Macao commented. Apparently he had been keeping track of the time but all that served to do was create even more tension that before.

"You know I'd rather you didn't keep an eye on the time. It's going to kill me with suspense." Loke/Rex complained.

"I don't know about you, but I need a drink to calm me down right now." Greninja/Cana declared and made a move towards the barrels of liquor, but Cana/Greninja stopped her.

"Oh no you don't! I do not want to get back to a drunken feeling when I return to my body thank you very much!" Cana/Greninja said testily and actually managed to punch his own body and send it sprawling in front of Natsu/Gray. She also had Natsu's scarf around her neck, making Cana/Greninja feel more relaxed. Then she stumbled and fell on the floor again, and she muttered several curse words under her breath.

"Stop hitting yourself. And no it isn't funny just because it is a literal example either!" Loke/Rex added as he could see several people suppressing their laughter.

Somehow, Greninja/Cana was expertly forming Water Shurikans and throwing with deadly accuracy. One of them missed the bodyswap counterpart and tore through Wakaba's hair. The Smoke Magic user felt his heart thump like crazy and was counting himself lucky that it didn't hit his face but was now facing the embarrassment of having a thin but tall diamond shaped hole in his head.

"Nice hair Wakaba! Your wife will be impressed!" Macao chortled.

Wakaba fumed as his apparent friend. "Oh? And I suppose you want to have that sort of hole in your shirt?" He retorted and Macao became quiet almost immediately, not happy with the prospect of having more than just a hole in his shirt.

Jet and Droy had taken to cheering Levy on, but the small blue haired girl focused on finding a way to reverse the spell. Each second wasted talking to them was a second that could've potentially been dedicating to saving them, so her only option was to simply ignore them and focus. After a surprising period of silence if you ignore the two male members of Shadow Gear, Elfman decided to join the cheerleader squad and cheer Levy on in his own manly fashion.

An irritated Natsu/Gray turned to his counterpart and stated, "If we're stuck in these bodies forever it's going to be your fault flame brain."

"Why are you always blaming me?" Gray/Natsu growled in retort and they began to once again get into a fistfight, and they began rolling round the floor. Levy was getting annoyed at their antics but focused on the translation job more right now.

"Can you two just stop fighting this instance? Levy is trying very hard to undo Natsu's blunder and fighting would only make things worse. You're going to feel your injuries when you return to your normal bodies anyway so that's another incentive to stop fighting, am I right?" Loke/Rex argued to the both of them who looked at each other then slowly backed away and starting sulking.

"Ten minutes left." Macao noted, still watching the time.

Happy/Erza sighed and he drooped down in an expression that could only be read as defeat. "I'm going to be stuck in this useless body forever now I aren't I?" The technically female cat said in a depressed tone and Rex/Loke turned to her.

"What about me? I'm stuck in the body of someone who comes from a completely different dimension and have a bunch of other people in my head shouting like I'm supposed to be part of their business. At least you have someone you know very well Erza." Rex/Loke pointed out, but he was several feet away from the cat. Then Rex/Loke unintentionally changed Forme and had the Earth Plate. Everyone looked surprised and interested, but Loke/Rex walked over calmly, but had a glare on his face.

"Loke, it would be helpful if you don't do anything to destroy to the Guild Hall, I never got the chance to mention it, but the that particular form has the potential to cause this place to collapse." Loke/Rex pointed out in a passive aggressive tone.

Many people freaked out at the news, Makarov and Mirajane in particular. "What?" Makarov shouted in horror.

"Well... back in the Pokemon world, Ground types are often considered to be the most powerful type and for good reason too. They are super-effective against no less than five types in total." Loke/Rex explained and Makarov began to get nervous, because of the unfortunate implications that it came with. "Loke, calm down and focus, otherwise something band's going to happen and return to my Normal Forme."

Rex/Loke paled and nodded. The first few times were failures and the fifth try resulted in him changing from the Earth Plate to the Zap Plate.

"It's a start." Loke/Rex commented. Eventually, Rex/Loke accomplished the order much to everyone's relief.

"I think we're going to have to face the cruel reality that we've become the crappiest team in Fairy Tail." Lucy said morosely and she began sweating nervously as ten minutes became five. Silence dominated the next several minutes as all eyes were on the small Solid Script user as she continued scribbling down notes until she jumped up in triumph.

"I got it!" She proclaimed and everyone held their breath in hope. "The translation is: By this eternal swapping, may you forever be happy." Levy read out.

"OK then, so what's the way to reverse the spell?" Loke/Rex asked.

Levy blushed, almost out of embarrassment. "The way to reverse the spell is to simply say the spell backwards." She admitted to everyone else's surprise. Several people even groaned over how anticlimactic it sounded.

"One minute left." Macao said and panic began to set in.

"Please hurry up and change us back!" Natsu and Gray shouted.

Levy nodded and began muttering a spell in a language that Rex obviously didn't recognise. Though learning a new one might be interesting. If the reversion of the spell failed then he was looking at a lifetime in Loke's body with nothing more than what looked like a few rings and of course his pokemon. But Loke/Rex shook his head determined to think positively at this stage. As the glow faded everyone stopped and looked on nervously.

"Did it work?" Rex asked and looked down to find his clothes on as normal. "I'm me again!" He cried and jumped for joy.

Unfortunately it looked like Levy had actually made things worse in reality. Rex and Loke appeared to be the only ones to go back to their bodies along with Erza and Happy. "Since when did I start wearing a hat?" Jet asked as he took it off.

"Uh oh, don't tell me I've swapped with you Droy!" Droy/Jet pointed out to the person standing opposite him.

"Nooooo! I'm an old perverted man now!" Makarov/Mirajane exclamined and began crying. If it was someone else it would be funnier.

"Haha! Look at this! I'm a young beautiful woman. Maybe I can start a family now with some dashing handsome young man." Mirajane/Makarov said and she began eyeing up Rex, much to his shock and Erza's annoyance.

Levy just stood there as she realised things had only gone from bad to worse. "I... I don't know what went wrong!" She cried, all but confirming that it was now out of her hands and the Guild continued getting involved into it's usual chaos. Having figured out what hurting each other meant Natsu and Gray did their best to hurt the body there were in as much as possible, which included being hit by Elfman and jumping from the second floor despite not being allowed to go up there. Levy then realised she had read the incantation incorrectly and was flustered over making such a basic mistake.

* * *

**Some time later...**

Once thin had finally come to a head with the chaos caused by the Changeling spell, Rex returned to what he was doing previously, looking for a place to rent. Greninja also sat next to him and was helping as well, by pointing out any place that looked viable.

"How about this one? It's close to the Guild Hall." Greninja pointed one out to him.

"No, because there wouldn't be enough space for all six of you." Rex shook his head and pointed out a different one. "What about this house?"

Greninja looked at several pictures for it before eventually shaking his head. "Look at the rent on that. A hundred and twenty-five thousand Jewel a month. We'd have to be doing several jobs a month if we don't pick a high paying one. Didn't Lucy say her one was seventy grand a month?" Greninja pointed out.

Rex nodded slowly. "Yeah, something around the fifty to a hundred thousand mark would be ideal." He paused and grinned as he saw the perfect place to rent. "Oh, how about this one! The rent is eighty thousand a month, and it is spacious judging by the pictures. It actually doesn't look like it would take that long to get to Fairy Tail, if we started at the place all we have to do is walk down and then turn right."

Greninja studied it for a moment before smiling in agreement. Mirajane couldn't help but overhear and she walked over. "I take it then you have decided on a place to stay at in Magnolia Town then?" She asked.

"More or less, I just gotta contacted the Landlord. One Mr Rhys Rosearc it says here." Rex replied pointing at the name on the paper and doing his best to pronounce it. It actually read Mr Rhys Rozarc.

A loud thumping noise drew their attention away from the sheet. Natsu and Gray had yet again gotten themselves into another one of their fights, but this time Erza was in the right body to stop it from getting out of hand. They were fighting over what they did to their own bodies whilst throwing the hardest punches they could. It looked like it was going to get out of hand when Gray mentioned how he gave Natsu's body an extremely bad wedgie and Natsu responded by using Fire Dragon's Iron Fist. When she heard that Rex intended to rent an apartment she walked over casually and asked him, "So you've finally found a place to rent? That's good to know. Do you require any assistance?" Mirajane glared at her, but Erza appeared not to have noticed.

"No thanks, I can manage this on my own. Come along Greninja." Rex said and the Ninja pokemon began following his trainer.

Erza turned to Mirajane with a confused look on her face. "Is something the matter Mira?" She asked, mystified.

The white haired woman realised that Erza had seen her almost hostile look at the S-Class Mage and she shook her head vigorously. "No not at all Erza." She said in a rather dismissive tone, and gave Erza a slice of strawberry cheesecake that she had ordered. _I'm surprised that no one hasn't noticed yet. Rex felt it but had no idea what it actually was._ Mirajane thought and she bit her lip.

* * *

**In the streets of Magnolia, with Rex...**

Rex took notes of the streets he passed for two reasons, one was to memorise his way around Magnolia so that he could eventually know the streets like the back of his very powerful hands and the other was so that he could check out any shops that looked interesting along the way. Greninja was the one who noticed that they crossed the street Lucy was living on and they carried on without trying to break into her house.

Basing it off the pictures the place was the correct one. It had only one floor but the ceiling was higher than normal and there were two plain front doors. Sneaking a quick look round the outside of the house, it was L shaped due to a wooden patio outside and lead to a path the Rex assumed led to some sort of private beach. The house itself was mainly white on the outside, but the windows had a relaxed but smart look about them. Rex calmed down as he got closer and then knocked on the doors several times.

At first nothing happened but then a voice that had hints of being elderly then cried from inside, "Hm! Who's there? It better not be a salesman, hm! Hmm?" Someone said as he opened the door. The man was quite short, probably no taller than Greninja and had short brown hair that was beginning to look grey in some places and was combed all the way back. He had pale blue eyes and wore a monocle to help him see. He was also wearing a rather tatty looking beige jacket with elbow, shoulder and back pads that were all grey. This was worn over what Rex considered to be a rather garish shirt. The trousers looked smarter and the shoes were a shiny leather material.

"Grandfather! He isn't a salesman, look at the Fairy Tail mark on his neck. Sorry about that. He's sight isn't as good as it once was." A taller woman sounded as she came to the front door. She had shoulder length blonder hair and green eyes. She was currently wearing a plan light yellow shirt with a short light blue dress and a pair of white trainers.

"Ah, yes. Are you Rhys Rosearc?" Rex asked as the man stiffened slightly.

"For future reference it is Rozarc, not Rosearc, hmm!" Rhys snapped and the woman shook her head.

"Come on Grandfather, it was a mistake on his part. You're here to rent out the place, correct? My name is Iris, you'll have to excuse him for that. You're that Take Over wizard who has recently joined Fairy Tail, correct?" Iris guessed and Rex nodded in response, deciding not to correct Iris on her mistake.

"Yep, that's me! Rex Vermend, and this my partner Greninja." He introduced himself as the two of them stepped into what was the hallway. The porch itself was brown, but the flooring was smooth and wooden in the hallway. The walls were painted a cream colour, which gave off a welcoming feeling that Rex liked.

They went to the right and Rex was shown the bedroom. It was painted a lilac colour and there was a double bed taking up a fair amount of the room, but there was enough space left for some cupboards and drawers to store any clothes. Rex gave an inward chuckle as he figured his clothes were more or less going to be the same.

After looking at the room opposite which was a smaller plain spare bedroom and the reasonably sized bathroom with a tiled floor they went into the living room which was connected to the kitchen and dining room. The living room itself felt rather cozy with its one admittedly rather large window and a fireplace that was powered through what was called a Fire Lacrima. There were two different sized sofas, a long glass coffee table and a big chair. To one corner there was a relatively tall plant with narrow green leaves on it in an ostentatious vase and the floor was a pale carpet and the walls were painted a nice maroon colour. Only the living room and bedrooms had a carpet floor.

The kitchen was what something similar to Lucy's place, only bigger. It was connected to the dining room which had one wall that was made of several giant windows and a double door that lead to the patio. The table in the dining room was enough to seat six or seven people at most. On the wooden patio there were several deckchairs that were currently upright and a wooden balcony that gave way to a view of what was behind. Rex was impressed, it was a very impressive setup.

"Was the rent eighty thousand Jewel, Mr Rozarc?" He asked politely.

"A boy with manners, that's good hmm hm! Yes, eighty thousand at the end of each month. You are personally responsible for anything that happens once you start renting and I will find out if anything has happened to it." Mr Rozarc sighed. "I spent a good 5 years into this place and I don't want to see it wrecked. My blood sweat and tears went into this, especially my tears..." He muttered that last part and Rex gave a slight nod.

"And I'm sure you're wife would be very impressed with it. I know I was." Rex said with a smile and Rhys looked up in shock, before breaking out into what finally felt like a genuine smile. "Are there any other rules I should know about before you go?"

Mr Rozarc scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Should you lose your key, I will have a spare on hand as will Iris if you cannot reach me with that Communication Lacrima on the mantelpiece there." He indicated a turquoise orb sitting in a yellow holder. "And don't forget to replace the Fire Lacrima which can be found... Iris can you show Mr Vermend it? My back aches whenever I try and reach it. There is also a note that shows where to get it from and what type."

Iris nodded and pointed Rex to a small compartment underneath the fire and she opened it. Inside there was a small rough cylindrical looking object was a cool blue. Rex felt as if he was getting a headache as well from seeing too much blue and grinned as he remembered the Changeling incident earlier on in the day. "Okay, don't worry I won't forget anything." He promised and Rhys seemed to be pleased at that.

Once they packed up their stuff and went off to another house they owned in Magnolia Rex went outside to the patio and sent out all his pokemon. "Ah, it feels good to get some flying done, I swear I was going to Cloyster up and forget, cacaw!" Barviary remarked after flying high for several minutes.

"I don't get the big deal with flying, it's only flapping with wings right?" Aggron said, and Braviary turned on him in despair and annoyance.

"It certainly isn't more than flapping wings! You've got to think of the air currents and the wind and who else is flying nearby. Like a battle it's seemingly easy on the surface but complicated deep down, cacaw?" Braviary contested hotly. "Honestly, I thought a thick metallic brain like yours would've understood that by now?" He added insultingly.

"It's about 63.3% iron, 21% bronze, 9.7% silver and the rest made of... Oi!" Aggron snapped and used Iron Tail to lash out at Braviary. The Valiant Pokémon cackled in response as the tail hit the floor and nearly broke a section of the patio.

"Stop it, both of you! I don't want to have to deal with repairing the damage on top of rent and other expenses. Besides I have the perfect idea of how to solve this problem." Rex said and he changed into the Fire Forme as he began walking down the path down the back, and roughly a third of the way there he stopped and began walking out onto the grass. Then he began burning a large section of it much to everyone's surprise and horror.

"What are you doing?" Braviary asked and jumped back.

"...Hang on a minute, watch what he is doing." Garchomp pointed out to avoid any further argument. They all witnessed that Rex was burning a section and carefully controlling the fire so that nobody or anything else could be affected by it. Then switching to the Earth Plate, Rex concentrated and raised the burnt patch slightly like a platform until it was about three inches higher than the ground. He still wasn't finished as he hardened the ground and tested it by jumping up and throwing a Mud Shot at it. The brown ball hit the ground hard and barely made a crack in it.

The group made a tentative few steps and much to their surprise, it felt like a typical battlefield they fought on in cities. "Well, this is... cool." Garchomp noted.

"Yup! This'll be our training ground. It can withstand most attacks, with the exception being if you were a maxed out Swords Dance Mega Lucario using Focus Punch. But the odds of that happening are one in a billion billion, am I right?" Rex said with a grin and his team cheered.

The next day, Rex had secretly invited Natsu, Happy, Gray, Erza and Lucy all to his home. Currently, everyone bar Natsu were making there way to his home. "Does anyone know where Natsu went?" Lucy asked as they walked through the streets of Magnolia, indicating for Happy to speak up.

But it was Gray who voiced his opinion. "It doesn't matter, flame brain has either overslept or broken into the house. Judging from Rex's reaction to... certain events that happened yesterday, it won't end well if Natsu's already in there." He added and both he and Lucy made a disgusted face at the thought of it. The memory of the swapped people making out had clearly left an impact on the group as they gave a collective shudder.

"Yes, well, what happened happened and we shall never speak of it again. Understand?" She added with a somewhat fierce glare. Nobody flinched but they nodded quickly in agreement.

As they got closer they could hear the sound of someone shouting something and then they heard an explosive blast ring out. Everyone looked at Gray, who had a look of disbelief in face of the fact that Natsu had actually broken into Rex's house. Happy flew using Aera whilst the three Mages ran towards the house as quickly as possible.

Rex in his Fire Forme and Natsu were stood facing each other, with the former shooting fire that had the kanji for big styled at the end, pushing Natsu back. The Dragon Slayer then proceeded to eat the fire as expected but then Erza intervened and unexpectedly punching Natsu hard, sending him flying back several metres. "Natsu you idiot!" Erza said sharply.

"Erza stop! He hasn't broken into my house if that's what you're thinking." Rex said frantically and he grabbed onto her arm.

"But... I... what?" Erza spluttered, confused at what was going on.

"I was only demonstrating the Flame Plate to Natsu, and was using Fire Blast so he could eat it. Speaking of which how was it?" Rex asked the pink haired Mage and Natsu smirked in response.

"Now that was some quality fire right there. Much better than Flamethrower." Natsu grinned.

"I'm glad you like it. Now let me show you some really cool." Rex grinned then felt the flames within rise up. "I'd stay out of the way if I were you." He advised, and the other members scooted away for their own safety. "**Eruption.**" Rex said, then he shot out a large crimson column of fire with yellow flames around the edges. Happy and Lucy jumped in surprise as they saw the fire completely engulf Natsu. The Dragon Slayer himself was caught off guard by the sheer force of the move and actually began taking steps back until he began eating the fire. Gray and Erza were both clearly amazed by the power as they had looks of disbelief on both their faces.

"What was that?" Erza said in awe. She really wanted to have a fight with Rex after seeing that display.

"That was Eruption, the second strongest Fire Type move. It does get weaker the more damage someone takes though. Still pretty impressive, don't you think?" Rex asked with a smile on his face.

Garchomp had just been watching the display and she walked over. "I wish I knew that move. That would make a Garchomp even more desirable." She lamented and remembered something. "Oops, I almost forgot to mention that the house is ready." She added.

"Shall we all go in then?" Rex asked.

"Aye!" Happy chimed in, whilst the rest of the team nodded.

As they all walked in and sat down in the living room with Happy sitting on Lucy's lap. "This is a nice place you have here Rex." Lucy commented. "I wish I could have a space as big as this, but then it would be far away from the shopping district of Magnolia. Not that I think my place is and or anything, I'm just saying!" She added hastily as if she had offended him.

Rex shrugged in response. "It's worth the price. I can show you the other end of it if you want." He said and they all walked out to where the battlefield was. "Initially I am mainly using it for them, but I suppose we could train here too, as long as we don't go overboard and accidentally destroy something."

Erza smiled and then took up a mock battle stance, followed shortly by Gray and Natsu. Lucy realised that she was in the middle of it and ran to the edge as quickly as she could. Happy also went with her, mainly because he wasn't much of a fighter.

"I'm gonna beat the crap out of you!" Natsu declared, thoroughly fired up.

"Not before I beat you first flame brain." Gray retorted, preparing for a spell.

Erza smiled as she requipped into her Black Wing Armour and currently held a long sword.

"**Forme Change - Fist Plate!**" Rex declared and changed Forme.

The four of them stared each other down for several moments before both Natsu and Gray charged at Rex, who jumped into the air and used Double Kick, hitting Natsu and then Gray who then bumped into Natsu.

"You're gonna regret that you shirtless pervert!" Natsu shouted as a flame cloaked fist swung through the air.

"Don't count on it. **Ice Make: Geyser!**" Gray chanted and used both his hand to create a pillar of ice that encased Natsu and then shattered. Natsu growled as he fell to the floor and was determined not to be beaten by his stripping rival.

Meanwhile Erza jumped forward and slashed upwards with the sword, forcing Rex to jump backwards but he countered with a quick Mach Punch. Erza then slashed horizontally and Rex was forced to use a move that he'd rather kept hidden.

"**Sacred Sword!**" Rex shouted and a curved glowing blue sword appeared in the nick of time to block her strike.

Erza looked on in surprise. "You can use swords as well?" She asked and she moved a foot back.

"Surprised? That's good. There are several sword like attacks, and this is definitely the king of them." Rex replied and the two of them leapt forwards with a mighty swing. Metal and energy clashed with a loud CLANG! that made Natsu and Gray stop to watch the pair of them. Erza then made a diagonal attack but Rex parried it with his own diagonal attack in the opposite direction and followed up with a jab that made contact with her Armour. Rex thought he had won until he realised that he was actually open and went sent reeling back by her.

"I'm impressed by your swordplay. Where did you learn that if you don't have any magic power?" Erza asked and Rex saw that all his team were watching.

"Let's just say that I picked it up from a friend." Rex replied and slashed upwards. As expected to she blocked it and Rex threw an Aura Sphere that caught her off guard and she took two steps back.

"Don't forget we have a score to settle Erza. **Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!**" Natsu shouted loudly and punched Erza across the battlefield. By the time she had gotten up she had already requipped into her Flame Empress Armour.

"Natsu may have been beaten by you Rex, but I'm not going down to you. **Ice Make: Hammer!**" Gray cried and swung from above. Rex didn't say anything but he then changed to the Flame Plate and protected himself with a stationary Flame Charge. When the hammer collided with the flames it cracked and Rex concentrated in order to avoid being pushed down into the ground. The cracks started spreading and Gray began sweating as he tried to keep it from breaking apart.

"Once this is over Gray you're going to get a shirt on." Rex pointed out.

"You gotta be kidding me, I've done it again?" Gray said loudly and the hammer broke.

Natsu punched Erza again, but she blocked it with her sword and stood up to the flames that erupted from it. "**Fire Dragon's Roar!**" Natsu shouted as he jumped back and let loose a stream of fire.

"**Flame Slash!**" Erza cried and sent a wave of fire to counter his. The two collided in an explosion and neither one of them gave up ground.

"Man they're really going for it." Lucy said, quaking in fear.

"Aye, that's the four of them for ya!" Happy said, watching on in amazement.

Natsu threw another flame cloaked punch at Erza and he grabbed his hand and blocked it. Then she increased her power to deliver a strong blow at the Dragon Slayer and a certain Multitype then stopped them with the following declaration. "I'll take out all of you in one shot!" Rex grinned and he change to the Earth Plate this time. Erza studied this Forme, having never seen it before. She heard a few days ago of how strong it was, but she never got an up close encounter with it.

"I remember that! You went that Forme on Galuna Island!" Natsu said and pointed at Rex.

"Yeah, I also used it to tilt the ruins in case you've forgotten with this move that'll hit everyone on the field. **Earthquake!**" Rex said loudly and smiled as the ground began to shake violently in the immediate area. Elsewhere a small tremor was felt all across Magnolia Town and even the Guild members currently in the Guild Hall were startled.

"What was that?" Macao commented, fearing the worst.

Mirajane piped up unexpectedly. "That was Rex, he told me of a move called Earthquake that he used during his time at Galuna Island. According to him he used it to tilt the temple in order to stop the Moon Drip."

"Gee I wonder what a move called Earthquake does." Cana added sarcastically.

Makarov considered it for a moment. "Looks like it is more powerful than he is letting on. Only time will tell if he ends up being another Natsu, and that is never good news." He said to himself as it died down.

Back at the battlefield Natsu had already succumbed to his motion sickness and fell down on the floor gibbering and begging for it to stop. Gray was faring better but was too scared to move and Erza looked on in astonishment, being the only one who didn't fall down. This sort of power is amazing. _I wonder... could he be as strong as Gildarts? _She thought and it died down, allowing Gray to get up. Natsu was still suffering from his motion sickness caused by the quake and was looking green.

"Well that's one idiot out." Gray commented and then received a fast ball of mud to the face, sending him flying backwards.

"And one more to go." Rex added slyly.

Gray was annoyed by that last remark. "**Ice Make: Lance!**" He said, firing multiple beams of ice at Rex and Erza. The armoured Mage used Flame Slash to get rid of some of them, whilst Rex fired several more Mud Shots at the remaining lances.

"Forme Change - Zap Plate!" Rex cried as he switched to his Electric Forme. Then he began forming a bright yellow orb and fired it at Gray. The Electro Ball would have hit him if Gray hadn't used another spell.

"**Ice Make: Block!**" An icy blue seal appeared and Gray created a tall block of ice that stopped the Electro Ball from hitting it's target. However this left him vulnerable to Erza and she delivered a strong attack that was sufficient to knock out Gray.

"You know... we actually make a pretty good team." Rex admitted and the pair if them each picked up a body.

"Maybe one day you would like to help me on an S-Class request. You're no slouch yourself." Erza responded and Rex blinked in surprise, then nodded with a grin on his face.

Inside, they were taking care of Natsu and Gray. "What the heck was the big idea of causing an earthquake?" The pink haired Mage said angrily.

"I'm sorry Natsu, I never realised that it would trigger your motion sickness." Rex said, but didn't look at him in the eyes. He figured that it actually would trigger it, since an earthquake does involve the earth moving all of a sudden. _Probably just a stronger one than what Natsu is normally used to. _Rex thought and walked into the living room, where the rest of the team were sitting.

"Rex, do you have any way of showing more information on your pokemon, like a PokeDex I believe you mentioned when explaining it to me." Erza requested and the Mages from Earthland looked on in interest.

Rex nodded for a moment then looked at Gardevoir. He whispered something that even Natsu didn't pick up on or understand and Gardevoir went to the hall. She then came back with a strange object in her hand. It looked like some sort of rectangular device that was held with both hands. The top and bottom sections had an identical brick red look, but on the left there was a small blue circle inside a white ring and on the left there were two green buttons.

Rex pressed the blue button and PokeDex grew about a centimetre or two taller and Happy jumped as it came to life with a list on one side of a screen and a box on the other side.

"Gardevoir, the Embrace Pokemon. Gardevoir can sense when its Trainer is in danger, and will use its psychic power to distort dimensions and create a small black hole to protect its Trainer. It will even give up its life to protect its Trainer." A toneless female voice said.

"Woah, it talks!" Happy cried out.

"You're impressed by that you stupid cat?!" Lucy cried out, having paid more attention to the description and looking at Gardevoir in amazement.

"Save your questions for later." Rex said firmly and the two of them nodded meekly.

"Gallade, the Blade Pokemon. Gallade will use its arms like swords in order to protect someone. It is a master of courtesy and swordsmanship that is capable of predicting its foe's moves." As if to demonstrate it, Gallade extended his arms until they reached his head.

"That's so cool!" Happy said, with adoration in his eyes.

"Braviary, the Valiant Pokemon. Called "soldiers of the sky," Braviary fights tirelessly to protect its friends. If it has many scars, it earns more respect from its comrades."

"Woah, that's impressive." Gray commented with a raised eyebrow.

"Aggron, the Iron Armour Pokemon. Aggron claims a large mountain for its territory, and fiercely defends it from those who trespass. If its mountain is ravaged by a landslide or a fire, this Pokémon will haul topsoil to the area, plant trees, and beautifully restore its own territory."

"That sounds like one really scary Pokemon to me!" Lucy and Happy said simultaneously, clutching reach other in fear. Aggron sighed.

"Garchomp, the Mach Pokemon. Garchomp can fly at an incredible speed—helped by the fine scales on its body that reduce drag—to catch its prey."

"The thought of riding one is making me sick." Natsu said and felt like he was gonna hurl.

"Greninja, the Ninja Pokemon. It creates throwing stars out of compressed water. When it spins them and throws them at high speed, these stars can split metal in two."

Erza looked on in surprise. She looked over at Greninja. "If that's true, then my armour could be useless." She said evenly.

"Hey, I'm not going to fire them at you." Greninja backed away cautiously but walked forwards as she relaxed.

"So, what do you think?" Rex said with a smile on his face.

Natsu grinned. "They're all awesome, especially Garchomp!" He shouted out loud.

"Please Natsu, you mean Aggron." Gray said in an insulting tone.

The two of them got close close together again, emanating an orange and icy blue aura. "That's what you think you icy pervert!" Natsu retorted with a fierce glare at Gray.

"And what are you gonna do about it you flaming freak?" Gray said coolly.

Just when it looked like they were going to get into a fight, Rex put his foot down hard. "Stop it you two!" He roared and glared fiercely at both of them. "You are not to fight in here! If you do any money earned will be shared between me, Lucy and Erza. None of you will touch a Jewel for the next month!" Rex carried on and that got the two of them to jump up in fear at this sudden change in tone. As if to emphasise his point, Rex dragged both of them outside and whimpering could be heard as something happened.

"Let Senpai deal with it, and don't say a word about it." Gallade advised.

* * *

**Okay, only a few things to comment on here.**

**Their reaction to the PokeDex: **First off, it is the ORAS model. And second, each member of team Natsu's reaction to a pokemon is probably a realistic one to me, so I don't know how you feel about it.

**The Changeling Incident: **I had a lot of fun with a certain scene for this one, mainly because it was absolutely hilarious.

**The Earth Plate: **I feel as if in addition to using Ground types, the Earth Plate allows the user to alter any natural material such as soil, clay, rock etcetera. The Iron Plate will allow manipulation of steel, in a magnetic sense I guess. As for the Stone Plate, I'm not sure.

**Next time on Guardian Fairy - Phantom Lord.**

**After returning from a job, the members of Team Natsu come across something shocking - a Guild Hall with Iron pillars sticking out of it. But who was responsible and why were they behind it?**


	9. Phantom Lord

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or Pokemon. They belong to Hiro Mashima and Nintendo respectively, I only own the story.**

**DT999: **We've discussed this over PM. Right now there isn't really anybody who can actually give Rex a challenge (except Ultear). That changes from the Phantom Lord Arc onwards, so there is no need to worry.

**ultima-owner: **I figured that since Cana could easily throw her cards, Water Shurikans aren't that different.

**Insane Dominator:** Yeah, I had fun with it for sure. I'll make each of them get their chance to shine in this arc. Well, almost all of them. (Foreshadowing!)

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: **You could say I attracted you for the lulz. Okay, no more joking, on with the story.

**Previously on Guardian Fairy:**

**Rex:** You won't want to hear from this Father! Natsu read out a spell that swapped bodies and I had to do so with Loke. There was definitely something weird about his body though. Why can't I put my finger on it? Levy came in and helped as best as she could but it ultimately ended up being resolved by the Master. During that time Loke managed to use Attract and the result is not something for the younger ones to see.

**Greninja:** You got that right. It was a horrifying experience that I never want to go through ever again.

**Rex: **Moving on... I finally found a home to rent out. I plan on buying it out eventually, but for now I'll happily pay 80,000 Jewel a month. That's not a bad deal when you consider what I get in return and the owner is a nice person if a little odd.

* * *

**Chapter 9: Phantom Lord**

Natsu was the last person to come off the train at Magnolia Station as he was carried by Rex who slapped him conscious across the cheek. The Guardian of the Plates, along with Lucy was irritated by the fact that Natsu, Happy, Gray and Erza had all come along with them on a simply job that only paid 25,000 Jewel. "You know, we could have done that job ourselves. I don't get why you had to come along." Rex said, voicing his concern.

"It's because we're team! And an awesome one at that!" Natsu said with a grin.

"Aye!" Happy agreed. The job itself was quite boring and yet despite their protests the four of them came along and as a result they overdid it and accidentally caused some collateral damage which would get sent to Master Makarov without a doubt.

Gray chuckled. "Flame brain is right. We're a team now, so we should stick together as one." He said.

"Who're you calling a flame brain?" Natsu growled and began glaring daggers at Gray.

"Who d'you think moron?" Gray shot back and Rex realised that once again he had stripped.

"Don't start now you two, and put some clothes on Gray." Erza said sternly.

"What, again?" Gray cried as looked down in horror.

_Doesn't he ever realise when he strips?_ Rex thought, sweatdropping as Gray put his clothes back on. Then his attention turned to one of the citizens who was looking at the group and they began whispering to a friend. The look those two gave the group was... sympathetic? "Something feels off guys." He announced and everyone realised that they were looking at the group and whispering.

"It looks like they haven't seen yet." "How unfortunate that it had to happen to them."

Erza didn't like this one bit and ran forwards, shortly followed by the group. When everyone saw the Guild Hall there was a collective gasp of shock. A number of long thick metal pillars were embedded in the Guild Hall, more or less destroying it, but it hadn't collapsed despite its frail look. "What happened?" She asked as they got closer. Mirajane along with a few others were standing outside, waiting for the team to come back form their job, and the barmaid was not feeling happy.

Natsu began to growl in anger. "This was deliberate." He declared as he grit his teeth.

"It was Phantom Lord." Mirajane said, but she was almost in tears over the damage the metal rods had done to the Hall. Rex felt his mind jump to the worst possible conclusions.

"Phantom Lord? Who're they?" Rex asked, also picking up on what it was she said.

"They're another Guild who are considered to be just as strong as us, but we aren't exactly on the best terms with them." Erza explained, without looking away.

"So they're a Dark Guild too?" Rex replied and his eyes widened when she shook her head. "What? But they can't just do that and get away with it!" He protested and felt his anger beginning to rise.

"That's just what I was going to say! So let's kick their asses!" Natsu shouted with a blazing fist, clearly ready to knock down the nearest wall to him. Though violence wasn't exactly what Rex had in mind, it was the best thing considering what happened.

Mirajane didn't say anything. Instead, she led the group down several flights of stairs to the basement where Rex had slept the first night he spent at Fairy Tail. There Rex could count all the people he knew; Loke, Cana, Elfman, Macao and plenty of other regular wizards at the Guild. Natsu was still pissed off, but Rex let out a sigh of relief knowing that everyone was present but they weren't looking too upbeat.

"We're back Master Makarov." Erza announced and the Master walked over, with a stagger.

"Oh? Well how did the job go Lucy?" Makarov asked, hiccuping at the end of his statement and he staggered slightly but there wasn't any immediate danger.

"It went fine, we managed to finish it. But Natsu and Gray overdid it as usual." She said, looking on and waiting for the Master to actually look at her because in reality he was looking at Gardevoir who stood beside Rex. Gardevoir exchanged a look that mirrored her one of confusion. Rex could smell the alcohol on his breath and it was clear as day that the Master was drunk.

"Natsu, you'll be punished for going overboard." Makarov slurred, and he ended up slapping Rex on his bum.

Rex flushed and said, "Are you feeling okay Master? You shouldn't be drinking in the state you're in." He pointed out.

"Nonsense, I've never felt better." Makarov shook his head stubbornly and hiccupped again.

Mirajane came over. "Master you didn't punish Natsu, all you did was slap Rex by mistake. Now settle down." She admonished him and pulled him away more for his sake than anyone else's. "They did this at night when no one was around, so we're lucky no one was injured." She explained.

"That shows how cowardly those Phantom dunderheads truly are." Makarov said in spite of his drunkenness.

_They appear to have been injured quite badly mentally though. _Rex thought as he looked around and decided not to say that out of respect for the time being. Right now he was more curious about Phantom Lord, and relieved that no one was hurt. If any member was hurt then he would most likely snap and pay the Guild a visit.

"Why the hell aren't we striking back?" Natsu demanded angrily, clearly all fired up to go at a moments notice.

"There's no need to Natsu. Don't worry about them and go on another job." Makarov said dismissively.

"Like hell I'm going to sit around and do nothing. I'll take on Phantom Lord right now!" Natsu argued and Rex gave a slight nod to show that he would be coming along to help too.

Makarov appeared to sober up and he turned with a more fierce glare at Natsu. "That's an order Natsu, do not retaliate under any circumstances. Do you understand?" He said sharply and Natsu realised that he was beat and said absolutely nothing. Satisfied with his response, Makarov sat down and began drinking from his mug again.

Natsu sat at a table and he began grumbling to himself, with Happy unsuccessfully trying to cheer him up. Rex turned to Mirajane, wanting to know something. "Is there any reason why we're not retaliating?" He asked the barmaid.

Mirajane nodded somberly. "It was forbidden by the Council long ago for two guilds to go to war after they received numerous reports of guilds attacking each other over the slightest insult. They tend to overlook guild wars involving a legal Guild and a Dark Guild for obvious reasons." She explained and Rex sat down.

_'Look at them Rex, they're all depressed at the Guild Hall being destroyed.' _Gardevoir observed using telepathy. She had to sit down to avoid swaying from the melancholy felt by most if not all members present.

_'Yes, I'm gonna try and cheer them up. Oh and be ready to go outside.' _Rex replied before standing up urgently and some people turned. "Listen, we need to stop acting like it's all over. Phantom Lord may have destroyed our Guild Hall, but we're still here and kicking. Everyone of us is a part of the Guild, we make up the heart and soul of it. A Guild Hall can be replaced, it's what inside here that counts so quit moping and get up." Rex said as pointed at his heart, a bit more snappily than he intended but it had the effect he wanted.

Erza smiled, seeing that his words rang of the truth and gave an approving nod. In the back of her mind, she complimented him for those words, and assumed he considered his Pokemon to be the same. Not just as partners, but as friends to confide with. She also wondered more about being a Trainer and silently admitted to want he own journey with him around the Pokemon World. It would certainly be a refreshing experience.

"Aye sir!" Happy jumped with a fist pumping the air.

"A real man wouldn't take this crap lying down!" Elfman declared as he struck a pose to show his agreement.

Cana smirked eventually. "Heh, this kid has more spirit than the rest of us combined. He's been a member of Fairy Tail for how long, a week or two?" She guessed with a chuckle.

Erza turned to glare at her. "Is there something wrong with that?" She asked coldly and Cana abruptly shook her head and feigned thirst in hopes of avoiding any punishment from the S-Class Mage. Luckily for her Erza was in a good mood and the members of the Guild sprang back into life and tried to carry on as best as they could.

Rex turned to the Master. "Do you think you could get everyone outside Master? I think I can repair the damaged Guild Hall." He offered and the Master felt his eyes widen in surprise.

Gray was also listening and looked shocked as well. "You think you can repair the Guild Hall?" He asked loudly and silence filled the basement. Many of them couldn't believe what they were hearing, like it was some sort of miracle from God himself.

"I have a plan that's worth a shot, so why not?" Rex shrugged and suddenly there was a rush to get outside the Guild Hall. Unfortunately for him he didn't see it until it was too late and was suddenly crushed under a stampede of feet until he, Gardevoir and Erza were the only ones left. "Too bad that didn't kill me." Rex commented, in a hoarse voice after having the air from his lungs pushed out, and everyone present could see the numerous shoe marks that stained the back of his white jacket.

By the time he had got out Erza was busy lecturing them on what had happened inside and how they let their excitement get the better of them, much to their chagrin. Much to their relief though there wasn't any physical punishment because she was also interested in what Rex was going to do.

"If it doesn't work then I'll give him a chance to meet my friend." Laki Olietta added in a slightly menacing tone. She was a silm, average height person with lavender hair who wore glasses. She also wore a light blue coloured suit and wearing a red cravat like a tie. Laki specialised in Wood-Make Magic and had a notably sadistic streak, something that Rex had no intention of finding out why anytime soon.

"Don't you think that's going overboard Laki? Rex himself admitted that it might not work." A nervous Levy pointed out and Laki sighed as she nodded in resigned agreement.

"You're all making the assumption that I'm going to do it. The reality is that I won't do it." He began and there was a collective gasp. "...At least not directly." He finished and there was a collective sigh that bugged Rex. But he ignored it and picked up the Dusk Ball. "All right Aggron, let's get rolling!" He shouted as the Iron Armour Pokemon materialised in an admittedly eerie black flash that was permeated by purple around the edges.

"What is it that-!" Aggron began and then he noticed the iron rods that had destroyed the Guild Hall and said nothing, letting the situation sink in for several minutes. The other members didn't understand the reaction at first, but when Aggron licked his lips and they saw his tail twitch out of excitement the smarter ones twigged and looked at Rex in amazement. "THIS IS BRILLIANT! ONE GIGANTIC IRON BUFFET AND NO ONE'S AROUND TO TAKE IT FROM ME!" Aggron shouted in delight.

"Are you saying that Aggron can eat iron?" Lucy asked with a pale face.

"Not just iron, but other metals as well. I don't get why you're all acting like it's a new thing, after all Natsu can eat fire right? Nobody seems to have a problem with that." Rex asked, pretending to be the only one mildly shocked. "Say Aggron, can you tell anything about that iron?"

The whole Guild simultaneously deadpanned at the realisation of how dumb they were for being shocked and listened as Aggron raised his head and sniffed. "It's pure for starters, nothing else in it which it always a good sign. However the thing that is interesting is that it's imbued with some odd quality, Magic I guess, so I don't know how much it will alter the taste." Aggron admitted.

"Now here's the plan. Aggron will eat the Iron rods, and Gardevoir will use Psychic to hold them together and repair the damage. This next big is important and I want you to all pay attention. Do not under any circumstance go back into the Guild Hall or touch a wall while it's still repairing then it could come collapsing on anyone unfortunate enough to be in the Hall at the time. After that you can patch it up." Rex said in a firm clear tone.

Makarov turned to Natsu and Gray. "Do you understand that Natsu? Gray?" He asked sharply as the two of them began to fight each other yet again over something completely ridiculous. They easily were the two Mages most likely to destroy the Guild with their daily fights.

"A-aye sir!" The two mages nodded as they acted all friendly again. Neither of them wanted to find out what the punishment was for destroying the Guild Hall, even if by accident.

In that time, Aggron and Gardevoir had walked around the Guild Hall to check the rods and make sure they would do this in the least damaging way possible. Starting from the top pillar, Aggron licked his lips in anticipation and hear Rex shouting that they were in the all clear. Gardevoir nodded in acknowledgement and Aggron took a few tentative bites at first.

Gardevoir watched as he began chewing thoroughly and saw his expression become one of delight and hunger. "This, IS THE BEST IRON I'VE EVER TASTED!" Aggron shouted suddenly in joy and began eating the iron pillar as quickly as possible, ignoring the cheers from the Fairy Tail guild below. It took between 5 and 10 minutes to eat the first pillars and as Gardevoir picked up the pieces with Psychic and melded them together.

Natsu clearly didn't understand what Rex meant as he was rushing back to the Guild Hall. "We can go back in!" He cried only to be crushed by a magically enlarged fist courtesy of Master Makarov. Everyone else groaned and facepalmed at Natsu being naive enough to think it was fixed already.

"Looks like he didn't listen after all." Lucy sighed.

"Aye." Happy nodded in agreement.

For the next several hours, the Guild was watching as Aggron carefully made his way through each and every pillar and the bulky pokemon ate at a steady rate to avoid indigestion. Gardevoir was busy and could feel the strain of constantly using Psychic to repair the Guild Hall and keep Aggron in the air, but she persevered with the task. She remembered being in intense battle and used those memories to keep going, this was a walk in the park as far as she was concerned.

"How can your Aggron eat so much iron in one go?" Lucy asked.

"That's because they have a surprisingly fast metabolic rate. The other reason is that they use any metal consumed to strengthen their body armour believe it or not. That's what you call getting iron in to your diet, literally!" Rex added with a laugh, but few people actually did. _Fine, don't laugh then! _He thought childishly.

"They're incredible!" Levy exclaimed, unable to say anything other than that.

"Yep, they sure are." Rex said, smiling. Deep down he was thinking about other things. _In truth, we have been monsters. Monsters more terrifying than the ancient Legendary Pokemon because we've experimented on Pokemon, cloning and fusing them for what ever evil needs. They know of a few of them, but they don't realise how low they can really go, like with Mewtwo or Genesect._ Rex lamented and turned to see that it was almost done, only one pillar was left.

Aggron took some time to catch his breath and get ready for the last one. Once Gardevoir was certain that each repaired section was not going to break apart and ruin the whole Guild Hall she let go of it, and relieved part of the mental stress that this was putting her under. "Come on Aggron, one more left." She said to encourage him.

"Yeah, just remind me not to eat for a week." He groaned as he started downing the last pillar. Everyone was surprised and were hoping that it wouldn't stop there and that his plan failed at once. Rex himself was quiet and looked at the pair of them unblinking, hoping for the best. Eventually Aggron found himself taking his last bite and he flopped on the ground with a sigh of relief as Gardevoir slowly repaired as much of the inside as she possibly could.

"I... I'm done." She said quietly as she stumbled towards the group of Mages and leaned on Aggron to support her, panting. The members of Fairy Tail cheered loudly, and most of it could be heard all over Magnolia Town. Even Rex was joining in with a grin on his face and everyone began crowding the two pokemon to thank them for what they did.

"Well done you two. I'll fully admit I was expecting it to go wrong, which makes me even more glad that it went right." Rex congratulated them when the noise died down and he shook Gardevoir's hand. "Wow, I underestimated how much stress that would have put you under." He admitted with concern once he put a hand on her forehead.

"It's okay Rex, I've felt worse." Gardevoir replied as she straightened herself up.

Natsu looked at the Guild Hall eagerly. "Can we go in now?" He asked persistently.

"No." Gardevoir shook her head. "You'll have to wait a couple of days before you can go in it again. However, you won't be allowed in on account of your destructive behaviour Natsu. There will be some things that inevitably need replacing though." She said and glanced at Cana, who realised that some of her booze had been trashed and was stinking up the Guild Hall notably.

Makarov took charge before things could get out of hand. "All right, listen up. Everyone will resume and act as if nothing has happened, but stay out of the Guild Hall unless I say so. Don't feel tempted to retaliate no matter how much you want to, understand?" He asked, looking at Natsu in particular and the Dragon Slayer said nothing in reply. Satisfied he dismissed the Fairy Tail members.

* * *

**At night, with Lucy**

Lucy was contemplating the events that took place today. "Man, what a crazy day. And that's even by Fairy Tail's usual standard. Still, I can't find a reason as to why Phantom Lord would attack. Erza herself admitted that there were tensions between the two Guilds but that isn't enough to set off a guild war right?" She asked Plue as she walked along the edge of the street.

"Uh-hunh!" The white dog replied with a nod.

Lucy heard someone shout for her to be careful but she ignored it as her apartment was in sight and there she saw Rex standing outside and sighed. "How bad is it this time?" She asked.

"Um..." Rex began nervously, but the tone told her 'look inside and you'll see'.

Lucy sighed and opened the door. She was greeted by the voice of Erza Scarlet. "I must say Lucy, this is a nice apartment you've got." The red haired Mage said, looking around. Instead of her Armour she wore a pair of pyjamas that were pink with the cross done in a pattern in a darker shade of pink.

"You too Erza?" Lucy groaned as Plue ran in. Apparently everyone was making the themselves at home. Natsu was lying on he couch with a bag of potato chips. Gray was topless on the floor and Happy was nowhere to be seen. "Why is everyone here?" She asked, and felt the desire to kick everyone out rising.

"Because Mira said that we should stick together in groups in case any Phantom Lord members are still hanging around, and they wouldn't even dare to strike us when we're all in the same room." Erza explained.

"Aye!" Happy nodded in agreement, with a fish in his hands.

"And anyway those Phantom Lord members are a bunch of wimps who can't face us out in the open! We can kick their ass along with their Guildmaster." Natsu said hotly and everyone could feel the heat coming from him.

"Don't be such an idiot Natsu. Their Master is one of the Ten Wizard Saints. He's not to be taken lightly." Gray pointed out.

"Wizard Saint? What's that?" Rex said, confused.

"A Wizard Saint is a title given to the ten strongest Mages throughout Fire and Phantom's Master Jose Porla is one of them. Our Master Makarov is also a Wizard Saint, which is reassuring to know." Erza said and Rex nodded slowly, thinking about whether or not he could possibly be a Saint with all 17 Plates unlocked. It certainly was a possibility. "Phantom Lord also has some strong elite Mages as well just like us. There's the Element 4, who are all S-Class and then there's their Iron Dragon Slayer. Gajeel 'Black Steel' Redfox."

"He ain't so tough!" Natsu declared hotly. "I could beat him any day."

"Wait, Gajeel is an Iron Dragon Slayer?" Rex said with surprise. "So he's the one who trashed the Guild Hall then."

"Yes, and instead of fire he eats iron." Erza said, remembering how Aggron ate the metal rods.

"Hey Erza! Look at what I found!" Happy said in a teasing tone, holding up a pair of small white underwear.

"What the hell was that for?" Lucy burst out.

Erza held them for a moment then blushed out of embarrassment. "Do you really wear this sort of underwear? This is shocking Lucy." She said in horror. Then she calmed down and turned to Natsu and Gray, trying to push the panties out of her mind. "Since we're living together for the time being then I suggest the two of you should take a bath, and you as well Rex." She said briskly.

"I don't need a bath Erza, I'm fine." Gray shrugged it off. Rex took off his jacket and sniffed it gingerly, wondering whether or not he actually needed a bath.

"If you refuse, then we can bathe like we did when the two of you were boys." Erza said with a smile on her face. Natsu and Gray both panicked and tried to get away but it was useless and the three of them ended up in a bath. Lucy was shocked and somewhat annoyed to see Erza having no problem with bathing with boys yet she got really embarrassed over a pair of underwear.

"So up until now Phantom Lord have been involved in nothing more than minor skirmishes?" Rex asked once they had finished their bathing together. It had been a different experience for him and wasn't one he intended to remember with amusement any sooner.

"That's correct, and I'm still not sure why they would do this now of all times." Erza admitted.

Rex looked out of the window. It seemed much calmer than earlier on in the day when everyone was cheering and celebrating over how he had managed to reconstruct the Guild Hall, even if that meant they couldn't go in for some time. There was also another reason he looked out of the window, one that he didn't tell the rest of the people currently in Lucy's apartment and would patiently wait for a certain frog to come back at about 1 in the morning.

* * *

**Magnolia Town, with Greninja**

Greninja silently landed on the roof of a business as he remembered his Trainers words._ I want you to patrol Magnolia Town in the night time in case anybody from Phantom Lord does try something okay? If you see anything suspicious, follow it and avoid being spotted. If it turns out to be a member of Phantom Lord trying to hurt someone then draw them away. Stay safe._ Were the words of Rex and he looked over and down the streets with remaining hidden on the roof.

Greninja yawned silently. He wasn't one to fall asleep quickly though he could wake up at a moments notice, something that made him good for sleeping duty. Greninja shook himself awake and looked up at the moon, remembering how Gardevoir told him about the trip to Galuna Island and how Rex had gotten two new Plates - Icicle and Earth. "Not bad choices, both are good but not as good as Water." He acknowledged and jumped down to the streets.

Magnolia itself remained silent for the majority of the time he had been on patrol. Occasionally there was a light from a room as well as several local restaurants, but they all went out by midnight and it would be 1 in the morning soon. "...It's too quiet." Greninja acknowledged as he crouched in an alleyway where he was virtually invisible. Not even his tongue was noticeable under normal circumstances.

A noise from his right alerted him and Greninja moved with such speed that it could easily rival a Noivern, making him one slippery Pokemon who could attack you without even seeing him. Hidden from above he looked down and gave a quiet gasp. There was Team Shadow Gear, all beat up and with a Guild Mark, presumably Phantom Lord's burned on them. The fact that they were still shaking told him that these wounds were recently new and he jumped towards them.

"Dear Arceus, Levy, Droy, Jet!" Greninja exclaimed as he began examining them. "Tell me, what happened?"

"We were... ambushed..." Levy groaned and she tried to stand up.

Greninja promptly pushed her down. "Don't exert yourself any more than necessary. Wait for someone to get you." He advised and looked around. Whoever had done it was probably still around somewhere. "Who ambushed you?" He asked and turned sharply as he heard someone move into the moonlight.

That person was a tall muscular man with spiky black hair that slicked back to reveal his forehead. His had no eyebrows, but rather had metal studs that replaced them and several on his nose and arms. His eyes were red and looked like slits. The person wore an outfit that was dark, but was lined with grey and had metal studs as well. There was a small wing ornament attached on the right side. "Gi hi hi hi. Well ain't you a strange Fairy." The male said mockingly.

"That's him... Gajeel... he..." Levy managed before falling unconscious, but Greninja connected the dots after he saw the Mark tattooed on Gajeel that match the ones burned onto Shadow Gear.

"So you're the one who attacked them?! And not only that, but you also damaged our Guild Hall?" Greninja said coolly, but there was anger burning in his eyes.

Gajeel snorted dismissively. "So what if I did? There ain't nothing you can do about it." He sneered at the Ninja Pokemon, completely unaware of what Greninja was actually capable of. "But I hate that it was undone. So I'll just destroy it again."

"You'll do no such thing!" Greninja declared then disappeared and reappeared behind Gajeel and threw a fast Night Slash at the Dragon Slayer. Not wasting any time, Greninja followed it up with several more from behind. Gajeel tried to throw a punch but each time he missed and was pushed forwards from the force of the blows.

"You're fast, I ain't gonna lie, but you'll have to better than that to defeat me." Gajeel taunted. Then his arm morphed into a black sword. Greninja looked on in shock and then he realised his mistake. "**Iron Dragon's Sword!**" Gajeel said and slashed hard at his frail looking opponent.

Greninja flew into a wall and loomed on at the S-Class Phantom Mage in shock. "Iron Dragon...?!" He began, looking on in shock. "But I thought..."

"You thought that puny Salamander was the only one who could use Dragon Slayer Magic?" Gajeel finished with an evil grin on his face. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but this is how you use Dragon Slayer Magic!" He declared and a lint green Seal appeared. "**Iron Dragon's Club!**" His right arm morphed into a metal rod that Greninja had seen earlier except it had been buried in the Guild Hall and it was rushing towards him. Greninja jumped out of the way as it slammed into the nearby wall and he landed on it gracefully.

An idea came to his mind and Greninja began running along the changed arm. Gajeel sneered and jerked his arm to the right and Greninja jumped in time. The metal rod nearly hit Team Shadow Gear and Greninja shifted his priority to getting the three of them away from the battlefield. Gajeel looked down as Greninja threw several Water Shurikans at him.

Gajeel however had been waiting for this. "It sucks to be you, because now you get to feel the force of my **Iron Dragon's Roar!**" Gajeel shouted and took a stance just like Natsu did when using his Fire Dragon's Roar. Instead of an orange blast of heat there was a dull grey tornado with several silver glints in it that engulfed Greninja and clashed with a nearby building. "Heh, what a weakling." Gajeel snorted.

"...Say that again Metalhead." Greninja retorted as the smoke cleared. What Gajeel didn't realised was that his Iron Dragon Slayer magic was the equivalent of Steel type moves which were resisted by Water types. "You're doing less damage than you think." Now it was his turn to smirk as he emerged, mostly unhurt.

"Impossible! The Iron Dragon's Roar is also made up of lots of tiny shards of metal that shred your skin!" Gajeel said in shock and Greninja smirked. "I knew Fairy Tail was always weak, but having a stupid frog as a member of the Guild shows how desperate they must be." He said in a insulting tone.

Greninja stiffened and really felt his anger grow now. "That is the last mistake you're ever going to make Black Steel." He declared in an emotionless tone and there was a deadly aura gathering around him. "No one calls me a stupid frog and gets away with it." Greninja threatened.

"I'd like to see you try!" Gajeel scoffed. Then he threw a set of Iron Dragon's Kunai at Greninja who dodged them with apparent ease. But Gajeel kept up the assault and said "You can't win by running away forever!"

"But I can by making the right move. **Water Shurikan!**" Greninja said as he formed several throwing stars from compressed water and threw them at Gajeel. The black haired Mage was taken off guard by how strong they were and then looked up to see Greninja holding one of his own Kunai and lobbing it right back at him.

Gajeel simply used his Iron Dragon's Sword but this time the blade began buzzing like a chainsaw and he swatted the attack away with ease. But then the noticed the real attack being a mirror made of water forming and he drew his arms to to his face again.

"**Iron Dragon's Roar!**" Gajeel chanted, once again unleashing the silver tornado.

"**Hydro Pump!**" Greninja cried and from the mirror came an intense blast of water that met Gajeel's Dragon's Roar.

* * *

**Phantom Lord Hall**

The Phantom Lord Guild Hall in Oak Town was a much darker place compared to the Fairy Tail Guild Hall. Phantom Lord's base was an imposing building mildly reminiscent of a bizarre fortress: it was surrounded by stone walls topped with railings. The main building, built of stone and linked to the two minor buildings by the suspended bridges, had another, central and arched bridge adorned by battlements, connecting a pair of large, square pillar-like structures placed in front of it, and seemed to take the form of a massive tower.

The building's entrance gave access to a large and tall room furnished like a club or pub of sort, possessing several tables paired with benches.

It was fitting for their name and inside, Gajeel was eating his iron with few people watching them, including his Guild Master Jose Porla. Jose was a tall slim person with black reddish hair and a thin mustache along with a thin sharp face. His current outfit was something that resembled a sorcerers - there was a purple coat, a purple hat and a pair of blue bat like wings. At the top of his chest, there was a small round silver object with a cross design on it, showing his status as one of the Ten Wizard Saints.

"You really scared those Fairies with your little handiwork Gajeel. It's a damn shame it was repaired." A member of Phantom Lord said and Gajeel clobbered him with his Iron Dragon's Club.

"Doesn't that idiot realise it's rude to interrupt Gajeel when he's eating iron?" A female member asked rhetorically.

"You're late Gajeel. Mind telling me what took so long?" Jose asked calmly.

"Tch..." Gajeel snorted, and decided that sooner or later the truth would come out. "Fine, I got held up a bit. I knew that old fart would not respond to the Guild Hall being destroyed so I left him an extra present. Then I got into a scrap with some weird looking Fairy." He explained casually.

Jose smirked in approval. "Good, I hope you haven't left that person beat up, we need her alive." He reminded his Dragon Slayer before turning to a woman with an umbrella and a thin, wiry man with a monocle. "You two have your orders." He added and they nodded once in response.

* * *

**The following morning.**

Rex yawned as he woke up with a stiff back from sleeping on the sofa. He tried to remember what had happened last night and then realised that Greninja hadn't come back yet and that so far he was the only one awake. "Okay, that's odd. Why isn't he back yet? I told him to be back at one. I bet that stupid frog has gone off to Mira's house and forgotten we're staying in Lucy's." Rex muttered irritably.

Upstairs he could hear someone getting up and that someone turned out to be Erza, whose hair looked like it was more of a bush. "Is something the matter?" She asked in a cool tone, with a menacing glare that warned Rex to tread lightly.

"No, nothing at all. I just think you should brush your hair a bit before breakfast." Rex commented, looking at her scarlet red hair. _Even when it's messed up like that it still looks pretty. Damn it Rex, why are you thinking things like that? _He thought and quickly turned away as a blush crept over his face and luckily Erza didn't see it

"...It does look like it's been through a lot doesn't it?" She admitted after looking in a mirror. Whilst she was brushing it there was a knock on the door and Rex had gone to use the bathroom. When he came back down the knocking was urgent and he rushed to the front door to find Mirajane standing there, partly in shock.

"Mira, what's happened?" Rex asked calmly, but was the fearing the worst and began cursing himself for letting Greninja go out at night like that, thinking about how bad that could've been in hindsight.

"It's... T-Team Sh-shadow Gear... and what happened to..." A distraught Mirajane said and Erza tried calming her down whilst Rex went through the problem of waking everyone else up. Lucy and Gray got up almost immediately, but Natsu and Happy were more troublesome. Though the blue cat was doing much better than Natsu, who was still snoring like it was nothing.

"Damn it Natsu, Mira is distressed and Erza is trying to calm her down." Rex said out of frustration and that finally got through to the Dragon Slayer.

"What happened?" Natsu asked fiercely and when Mirajane took them to a large tree they all gasped in horror and disbelief.

Team Shadow Gear were all hanging on the tree thanks to some Iron restraints in a crucifixion pose with the Phantom Lord Guild Mark burned onto them. Above them was none other than Greninja who had burned onto the end of his tongue, and that enraged Rex more than anything else. The few people nearby him took a slight step back as they still remembered what had happened with the Changeling spell. _Gajeel! You'll pay for that!_

In front of them, Master Makarov stood silently, looking onto the scene before him and taking it all in. He was now wearing a white fur lined robe, and was slowly beginning to seethe with anger.

"Master... you think we should sit back now, after what they've done?" Rex asked calmly, though he himself was beginning to let his anger show.

After a period of silence, Makarov finally spoke up. "I can take my Guild Hall being destroyed, but the one thing I cannot stand for is to see my children being harmed. If Phantom Lord want a war then they'll get what they asked for!" He declared as he broke hus cane, to everyone's agreement and whilst there was a golden aura surrounding him.

Meanwhile inside the Phantom Lord Guild Hall, which was separate to their Headquarters, a few of their members were joking around as they walked towards the door. "Gajeel's actions were hilarious, I bet those Fairies are quaking in their boots!" One of them chortled.

"Yeah, why don't we all go Fairy hunting?" A second person said and the three of them nodded in agreement.

Unfortunately for them they touch the door and were suddenly blown away along with it. Everyone inside turned with surprise to see that Fairy Tail had come to them, with the charge being led by Natsu, Makarov and Rex. "Fairy Tail has come calling!" Makarov shouted in anger and the Fairy Tail Mages ran into the Guild Hall, with Rex leading the charge.

"You bastards hurt Greninja, and now you're going to pay! **Forme Change - Splash Plate!**" Rex shouted fiercely before using Whirlpool and sending a group flying, and that was the first casualty of the Guild War. As the Phantom Lord members rushed towards Fairy Tail, the more prominent members of the invading Guild were leading the charge.

"Aqua Tail!" Rex added and he used his arms to unleash a blue spiral of water in a similar fashion to when Natsu uses his Wing Attack spell. It took out another group but they were replaced by more members.

"**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!**" Natsu shouted as flames engulfed his fists, which proceeded to send a member of Phantom Lord flying across the Hall. Several others tried to attack him too but suffered a similar fate to their unfortunate comrade. One Mage even threw a Fire spell that struck Natsu and she cheered, only to become shocked as she heard the sounds of someone eating, more accurately Natsu.

"Now I've got a fire in my belly!" Natsu grinned as he brought his hands together to use his signature spell. "**Fire Dragon's... ROAR**!" He yelled and unleashed a powerful wave of fire at the female Mage, knocking her out cold.

"**Ice Make: Block!**" Gray chanted and a rectangular block of ice got in the way of a projectile spell. Then he used Ice Make: Sword and created a sword out of ice. He clashed with another sword user and then blocked an attack to his right, realising it was too late to defend himself from another one of Phantom's members. Gray managed to lift the sword up but someone else got there before he was injured.

"**Requip - Heaven's Wheel Armour!**" Erza cried and flashed gold as she changed her armour. Holding a sword in each hand, she easily defeated the Mage who almost got Gray. "Don't get too wrapped up in one battle Gray! Phantom Lord has many members!" She scolded him, and Gray gulped, but her attention was drawn to the people attacking her.

"**Trinity Sword!**" She slashed at her opponents in a delta formation twice, taking them down with ease. Erza parried another blow before sending the person into his comrades and knocking a group of them over. Erza then easily defeated another person who was using Light Magic before requipping her swords into a whip like sword and snake it around the leg and used it to fling him into an oncoming rush of Mages.

"She's a monster!" Some of them cried and tried to run away, but Erza spotted this and defeated them when she requipped into her Flame Empress Armour and sent out a wave of fire.

"Next time you should try fighting with honour." Erza said calmly.

A group of twenty or more had initially bundled on Elfman, however the large Take Over user was not down for long and impressively shrugged all of them off with ease. "Fight me like a real man, one on one!" He shouted above the ruckus. Loke, Cana, even Wakaba and Macao were not giving up an inch using their respective manage to attack as many Phantom Lord members as possible.

But the ones who you should really feel sorry for were those who tried and inevitably failed when they came up against what could only possibly be called a monster in the form of Master Makarov. He sent out wave after wave of Magic easily pushing back anyone who came near him. "Jose!" Makarov shouted as he grew larger and extended his arms. "I'll settle things with Jose, you stay here and keep up the pressure!" He said to Erza who nodded.

Unfortunately that distracted her long enough for a member to take a clear shot at her, but the male Phantom Mage was punched into a nearby wall by none other than Rex Vermend, who had switched to the Fist Plate, unleashing what could only be described as his anger. "Keep sharp Erza. Anyway, now that I know I can use Normal moves, you're screwed Phantom!" Rex declared with a grin as he used Force Palm to send someone back, paralysing them in the process.

"Why would that be?" Erza asked curiously as she began to defend herself again.

"I'm glad you asked that. **Swords Dance.**" Rex said and a group of three blue glowing swords circled him momentarily. The Phantom members near him backed away "There are a lot of what you'd call Support Moves with Pokemon. Swords Dance raises my Attack by two stages, allowing me to hit harder physically." He explained before a glowing blue sword formed in his hand, larger than the time he had practiced with Erza, Natsu and Gray. "And there is no better attack to demonstrate this with than **Sacred Sword!**"

_If that's true, then just how far can he boost himself? _Erza wondered.

Rex looked back and seemed to read her mind. "I can only boost them by 6 stages max, but it can also got lower by no more than 6 stages, which would be a difference of twelve stages if we apply both maximum and minimum values." This took Erza by surprise.

Rex charged forward and easily battered aside two Phantom Lord members who tried to hit him from both sides before clipping another and sending him into the air where he caught one of Gray's Ice Make Lances. Several others nearby looked at him in amazement and began muttering something before Rex jerked his head in their direction. "Boo!" He said and they began running away.

"This is getting pointless. Tell me where I can find Gajeel and the Element 4!" Erza shouted to the general crowd, requipping back into her Heart Kreuz Armour.

High up in the rafters, Gajeel was watching the brawl between Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord, but mainly focused on Rex who was working through his fellow Guild members like they were nothing to him. "Amazing. I've never seen someone deal with Phantom Lord's member this way." He admitted, as Rex overpowered a group of them who had teamed up to do one strong spell against him. "Still, those fools don't realise what we're actually going for." Sneering, Gajeel saw Makarov climbing the tall Hall quickly to get to Master Jose.

Gajeel grinned. "Heh, perfect. With their little boss man out of the way, I can finally get a piece of the action." He smirked and jumped down to join the brawl.

* * *

**Back in Magnolia Town.**

The only member of Fairy Tail who hadn't been present when they launched their attack was Lucy. She decided to stay behind and tend to the wounded. She sighed as she saw Team Shadow Gear lying in the Guild basement along with Greninja and began walking out to get some medical supplies and do a bit of shopping as well. "I can't believe Rex had reacted like that way to Greninja getting hurt like that. He obviously cares for him and his Pokemon a lot." Lucy said in spite of the grim situation.

Lucy felt tears welling up in her eyes as she remembered the first time she had met Levy. The pair of the had hit it off almost immediately thanks to their shared love of books and Lucy even promised her that she would be the first person to read Lucy's novel the moment it came out. _Phantom Lord... they cannot be forgiven for this! _Lucy thought with a determined look on her face.

By the time she had finished gathering the stuff she needed clouds began to cover the sky and it then began raining as she walked back to the Guild Hall much to her annoyance. She took a shortcut through an alleyway but stopped when she saw a figure quite literally come out from the ground. It was that of a thin wiry man with a monocle and he was examining Lucy.

"Oh honh honh! What do we hav' here, non?" He said excitedly, in a French sounding accent. The woman Lucy had passed just now turned 180 and was facing her. She was a slender woman with blue hair that was curled into rings at the end and had dark blue eyes as well as pale skin and she was wearing a Russian Cossack hat. Oddly enough it was worn under an umbrella.

"She iz a beautiful girl, non?" The man said and wriggled his body, with a bit more coming out from the earth.

"Yes, and if you remember she is the one we're looking for. Drip drip drop." The woman replied in a monotonous tone, staring creepily at Lucy.

"Who are you people?" Lucy said then realised the only possible answer. "Are you apart of Phantom Lord?" She asked.

"Certamaint, cherie." The male said with joy and then smiled a sick smile. "And you are Lucy Heartfilia, oui?" He added and Lucy gasped. That was confirmation enough, but before she could do anything to stop them the blue haired woman trapped her in a orb of water and Lucy fell unconscious.

"Struggling against my Water Lock is useless." The woman advised, though Lucy didn't hear it. She dropped he stuff and her Celestial Keys except for The Golden Archer, Sagittarius which was in her pocket unbeknownst to the two of them.

"A perfect capture, non madame Juvia?" The male asked with a childish grin on his face. Juvia nodded wordlessly in reply and the two of them began heading back along with the captured Lucy Heartfilia.

* * *

**Back at Phantom Lord's Hall**

"**Iron Dragon's Club!**" Gajeel shouted and he defeated Nab and Warren. "Pathetic, is this supposed to be Fairy Tail?" He taunted and Elfman heard this.

"Why don't you come over a fight me like a real man?" Elfman declared and his arm began to glow. "**Beast Arm: Reptile!**" He declared and his lower arm was mainly covered in red scaled whilst the upper half of his arm was covered in green scales with black spines.

"A real man? A Fairy ain't a man!" Gajeel taunted and then to Elfman's surprise he attacked several Phantom Lord members using his Iron Dragon's Lance spell.

"What kind of man attacks his own friends?" Elfman asked, blinking in confusion.

"One who distracts you!" Gajeel shouted and his right arm shot forward, morphing into the Iron Dragon's Club. But Elfman reacted in time and managed to barely block it with his Reptile arm as he was pushed back a considerablr amount.

Rex however had spotted Gajeel and began ploughing through the Phantom Lord members until he reached the two males currently fighting and lifted a hand in front of Elfman. "Let me take things from here, Gajeel's mine." He said in an even tone, but Elfman could tell that he wanted to fight Gajeel and relented.

"Heh, another loud mouth? At least you're so eager, especially for the Multitype user." Gajeel grinned. The pair of them stared each other down for a moment, with such intensity that eventually everyone stopped to look at the Dragon Slayer and Trainer squaring off at each other.

"Why can't I fight Gajeel?" Natsu demanded.

Before anyone could reply there was a suddenly rumble coming from above. Several people looked up, but Gajeel and Rex still waited for either one of them to make the first move. "What is that?" Gray asked with a raised eyebrow, looking up.

"It must be the Master using his Giant's Wrath spell." Erza surmised accurately.

"Is that what happens when two Saints start fighting?" Happy asked.

Makarov had just entered the top area where Jose would be and used that spell to break through the door which was locked with Magic. The room itself was dark, but his golden aura flooded the room for him to see enough. "Come out and face me Jose!" Makarov demanded, not bothering to exert anymore energy.

Jose stood up with a long sly grin on his face, his eyes shining in dark. "How unexpected of you Makarov, if you wanted to visit you should have informed me before hand." He replied calmly with a smirk on his hand. Makarov ignored him but his eyebrows twitched and he unleashed a powerful blast of light at Phantom's Master. When the smoke cleared, Makarov looked on as Jose emerged seemingly uninjured whereas the chair had been destroyed instantly.

"A projection, Jose you coward!" Makarov shouted.

Jose snickered. "I'm sorry Makarov, but I couldn't let such a cataclysmic event befall Fiore." He answered with false concern.

"Then why attack Fairy Tail now of all times?!" Makarov demanded, still seething with his rage.

"You mean you don't know?" Jose asked, seemingly widening his eyes in surprise. "In truth it wasn't really about Fairy Tail, you just happened to be in the way through unfortunate circumstances. I would have assumed you know of this girl?" He taunted as an image of Lucy Heartfilia appeared, unconscious and with her hands tied behind her back.

"What does Lucy have to do with this?" Makarov said, anger flaring once again as he destroyed another section of the room.

"Temper, temper Makarov. I must admit I am genuinely surprised you don't know of the runaway Lucy Heartfilia." Jose deliberately revealed and Makarov stood there unmoving as the image flickered slightly before fading away. "I apologise, but I have to get moving and finish some unfinished business. Ta ta!" He added before vanishing.

Makarov calmed down, but was still not happy. "You've really done it this time Jose. I won't let you get away with this." He vowed, then as the Master of Fairy Tail turned away he felt the wind on his back then was shocked to see a large round person clad in green pop out of nowhere.

"This is truly a tragic moment!" The person said in a strangely sad tone with a bandage to cover his eyes, but there was a smile spread across his. Then he performed a spell and Makarov felt his consciousness fading.

Whilst Makarov had been busy with Jose, Rex switched to the Fist Plate and jumped at Gajeel with a Mach Punch then followed it up with a Power-Up Punch, boosting his attack once. Not wasting any time he finished his rally of attacks by using Brick Break, sending Gajeel back several steps.

"I ain't gonna lie white hair, that hurt. But it's going to take a lot more than that to seriously injure me." Gajeel retorted then morphed his arm into a sword with many spikes around the edge that began to buzz like a chainsaw. He then slashed twice across the chest before raising it and coming down from above.

Rex grunted as he got hit both times but then somersaulted backwards to avoid being split like a banana. _Gajeel isn't an S-Class Dragon Slayer for nothing. That sword of his hurt like hell! _Rex thought, knowing that he would have to be careful around him. Rex decided to go for something bulkier and switched to the Earth Plate. "I suppose I should give you credit too Black Steel. How about we get serious now? Because you hurt Greninja, and I'm pissed off." He growled.

Gajeel didn't catch on at first but then realised he meant that weird looking frog he beat up along with Team Shadow Gear. "Gi ha ha! You mean that stupid frog? Talk about a joke!" Gajeel laughed and several of his guild members also joined in with the laughter, and Rex began growling. Natsu nearly broke free and attacked Gajeel, but Erza and Gray both stopped him. "What's wrong Salamander?"

The Guardian's eyes narrowed. "You're gonna regret the day you said that." Rex said calmly and a crimson aura began surrounding him. "I really hope you realise your mistake. **Legendary Form: Groudon**." He cried and was enveloped in a crimson red orb. Everyone looked on, wondering how that affected his appearance and they gasped when it faded.

Rex had grown six inches taller and now had short red hair that was spiky and jagged at the top. His eyes were completely black with yellow iris' and there were two small white spikes that jutted out the side of his temples and a pair on each shoulder. His skin was mostly grey on his belly, his face, the back of his legs and underneath his arms.

Everywhere else was a crimson red colour and on the front of his arms and the lower half of his legs was a black circle next to a three forked arrow. The markings appeared to be engraved onto the skin and the fingers were replaced by white claws, and Rex wore a pair of white shoes that were grey around the side and underneath. Another notable feature was the tail that nearly touched the floor, it was wide and spiked at the end. There were black lines that connected a pair of white spikes on each side of the tail.

"What the hell is that?" Gajeel said, baffled at the new look but still clearly wary. He along with everyone else could almost feel the power coming from. He got infuriated when he saw Rex taunting him and the cocky look on his face. "Don't you think about smirking at me you smartass! **Iron Dragon's Club!**" Gajeel shouted in anger and threw it straight at the newly reborn Guardian.

But he, along with many other were shocked to see Rex using both his hands to easily block and was only pushed back by a foot. Gajeel began sweating as he felt his body tense up and try to push through. "Damn! What the hell is that thing?" He swore and ground his teeth in frustration.

"This is Groudon. A legend about a powerful being who could control land mass." Rex said and the sunlight intensified. "And you deserve this, **Fire Blast!**" Rex cried as he unleashed a very large Fire Blast, larger than what Erza and Natsu had seen a few days ago.

"Hah, no sweat. **Iron Dragon's Roar!**" Gajeel shouted in response and unleashed his own silver tornado. When they both hit there was an initial struggle until the Fire Blast moved through his Dragon's Roar and Gajeel was engulfed in really hot fire that blasted him back into the wall. "What... the hell?" He said as he emerged with burn marks all over his body.

"Something the matter Black Steel? Don't tell me this is all you got?" Rex asked, smirking in a similar fashion to Gajeel.

"He's super scary in that form!" Happy cried, hiding behind Erza. Even she had to admit that this form looked a lot more intimidating than anything she had seen him take on since Rex joined Fairy Tail.

That ticked off the black hired Dragon Slayer. "Shut up! You're not the only one with some armour. **Iron Dragon's Scales!**" Gajeel chanted as a lint green seal appeared underneath and his skin was now covered in shiny silver scales. "And these scales aren't just ordinary scales either." Gajeel added, and Rex braced for the worst.

Gajeel rushed towards him and a green seal appeared in front of Rex. "**Iron Dragon's Hard Fist!**" He shouted and punched harder than before. Rex used Fire Punch in return and both attacks collided with such force a powerful burst of wind pushed the spectators back.

Taking advantage of this, Rex quickly formed a Mud Bomb and threw it at Gajeel. It exploded right in his face, separating the two. "And that's that." Rex said quietly before looking on in shock when he saw that Gajeel was still standing.

"Heh, not only are my attacks harder, but this iron cannot and will not ever be penetrated!" Gajeel boasted. Rex did notice however that the burn marks left by Fire Blast were still there, then he caught an Iron Dragon's Club, made out of a silver metal this time as opposed to a dark dull grey.

Rex got an idea and quickly held the club before sending an Earthquake down the Club. At first Gajeel didn't feel anything, but he realised that something was going on when the world around him began to vibrate a little at first but then it grew more noticeable and Gajeel also felt as if he was jumping up and down but didn't remember ever jumping in the first place. "Wwwwaiiitt, wwwhaaattt thhheee heellllllllll ddddo yyyou ttttthinnnkk yyyouuu'ree dddoiiinggg?" Gajeel said as he was now being lifted a couple of centimetres in the air and coming down quite hard.

"This!" Rex shouted, as he fired a round of Mud Shots, each one of them hitting Gajeel in the face and sending him a step backwards, which worried the Phantom Lord members. None of them was wanted to see Gajeel being beaten by a Fairy but at the same time they didn't want to interfere with the battle.

"Oh and one last thing. You're screwed." Rex added with a widening smirk as he prepared another move but several blasts from above caught his and everyone's attention. Someone was falling from up above and after a while many people realised that it was Fairy Tail's Makarov, and he fell onto the floor looking sickly green. For a moment, nobody moved or said anything until Gajeel began laughing.

"Look everyone! Fairy Tail's Master is down. Now we have a chance!" A Phantom member said before they all cheered in victory and began attacking Fairy Tail again.

Erza grit her teeth together because she'd end up doing the unthinkable, for the first time. "Retreat!" She ordered Fairy Tail. "We cannot fight if the Master is down!"

"A real man would never back down!" Elfman shouted in defiance and easily engaged the members. But he was losing hope on the inside too and was now being pushed back.

"Retreat? Erza..." Cana said, shock making her unable to say anything else.

"We're staying here and finishing those Phantom creeps!" Natsu growled, not believing what they were hearing.

"No, she's right Natsu. Without the Master being around we don't even stand a chance of winning this war." Gray scowled, clearly unhappy.

"We are retreating, regardless of whether or not you like it." Erza stated stiffly.

"I'd never thought I see her say those words." Loke said in astonishment and then a Phantom Lord Mage attacked him. He would have been caught out by surprise had he not seen it out of the corner of his glasses and managed to fend it off, but Phantom Lord seemed to have a renewed energy in it.

"Get back here Gajeel!" Natsu demanded as Gajeel rose out of sight and rested onto one of the beams holding the place up. He was about to ask Happy to fly him up when Rex laid a hand on his shoulder.

"You can fight him later, right now we're at a disadvantage and we need to get out of here as quickly as possible. Please, Natsu!" Rex begged of him as a tear began to well up in his eyes shortly before reverting back to his Normal Forme.

As Gray and Erza covered for them Rex and Natsu tried to get the Master to say something. "C'mon Gramps, hurry up and say something!" Natsu said, and made to hit him, but Rex and Happy stopped him.

"Heh, look at those puny Fairies, running away." Gajeel sneered and he felt someone to his right appear. "Well? What's the report?" He asked of Aria, one of Phantom's Element 4. Though he would never admit it, the injuries inflicted by that Multitype user hurt.

Aria is an extremely tall and massive man with tanned skin. He had no visible hair and a rectangular elongated face. Aria's eyes were covered by a simple light blindfold and he wore many layers of clothing. The man quivered in the air before crying. "A truly tragic loss deserves such tears!" He sobbed.

"You know you're such a creep." Gajeel murmured. "That's it?"

Aria then broke out into a smile once he stopped crying. "Yes, Sol and Juvia's mission to catch Lucy Heartfilia was a success."

Natsu and Rex, who was carrying Makarov, both heard that name and looked up sharply. "GAJEEL!" Natsu roared in anger and was suddenly ablaze with fire. After a moment he calmed down and the pair of them ran from the onslaught of spells as quickly as possible but not before Rex bought them some time with Whirlpool.

When they managed to put some distance between themselves and Phantom Lord, Rex and Natsu met up with Erza to discuss the Master's situation. "Whatever happened must have been a sneak attack from behind. Look at him, he's very sick." Erza said with grave concern. "His Magic Power appears to have gone for some reason."

"Is there anything we can do?" Rex asked, not sure what to do if Makarov died.

Erza thought for a moment then her mind turned to a woman who was an old friend of Makarov. She was an expert healer and advisor, despite some of her initial quirks. She even managed to make an eye to replace her right one which she lost along time ago. "Yes, there is someone who can help. Her name is Porlyuscia, thought she has... a thing with other people."

Rex ignored the last part of that statement. "Good, Natsu and I will take care of something while we're here." He said and the two of them began walking around Oak Town until they came across a wandering member of Phantom Lord who gulped and tried running away when he saw them.

"You're not getting away that easily!" Natsu shouted and caught up with him thanks to Happy. Before he ran away though, thick vines constricted the Phantom Lord Mage and he tried to wriggle free.

"I wouldn't try to get out of Constrict. So don't bother and conserve energy." Rex said coolly, with an unreadable expression on his face.

"P-please don't hurt me!" The Phantom Mage shrieked hysterically and Rex slapped him twice across the cheek in an effort.

"Fine, as long as you tell us where you've got Lucy!" Natsu shouted in reply.

"...Who?" He asked, feigning stupidity.

"Don't lie to me! We know you have her, Gajeel said so!" Natsu shouted as he held a flaming fist for the stuck Phantom Mage to see.

"Okay, okay, but I don't know where she is!" He tried desperately and that didn't seem to lighten his mood. If anything it only made Natsu angrier and the flame appeared to get bigger in response to that anger.

"I suggest telling us where he is, for your health. It'd be unfortunate to come down with a sudden case of first degree burns, right?" Rex asked, adding a touch of sympathy in his voice so that he could play the good cop in this case.

The Phantom Mage swallowed before groaning. "Okay. I don't know where she is exactly, but I'd guess she's at our Headquarters which is further North from-" He began but Natsu knocked him unconscious with his blazing fist and Rex released him from Constrict.

"Sheesh, why didn't he say earlier?" Natsu frowned, scratching his head in confusion.

"Never mind that, we've got a wizard to save!" Rex pointed out as he used the Sky Plate and a pair of wings extended to their full width.

"Aye, sir!" A determined Happy chimed as he picked up Natsu and the pair of them began flying towards the Phantom Lord Headquarters.

* * *

**Phantom Lord HQ, with Lucy**

Phantom Lord's headquarters was a large, imposing and compact building composed of stone, taking on the architectonic form of a single body ending in a variety of differently shaped domes. The entrance was topped by an extremely high, ornamental part, consisting of an arc held up by two long, square pillars, complete with some arched windows below it, and placed above the smaller arc of the door itself; such zone was intricately decorated with bas-reliefs. Surrounding the headquarters were four tall towers. The building sat in an open area consisting of fields, and some mildly prominent hills were visible quite away from its back side.

Lucy groaned as she woke up and struggled to see where she was. "Ah, it appears our guest has finally woken up." A smooth, chilling voice noted, making her shiver. She tried moving her arms only to find that they were tied behind her back.

"Who are you?" She demanded in a tone that was supposed to be defiant, but was more scared than anything else.

"I am Jose Porla, Phantom Lord's current Guildmaster." The robed figure replied with a smile on his face.

Lucy let out a slight gasp. "Why I am tied up? Let me out!" She said snappily, though she didn't try to make a move on the Wizard Saint standing just inside her cell.

"Perhaps if you cooperate I can let you into better conditions." Jose offered casually as a millipede crawled onto Lucy, making her jump and scream, and then she fell onto her side. Jose winced, though saw it was quite clearly a no then.

"Tell me, why are you attacking Fairy Tail?" Lucy asked.

"That was more than a mere accident. The person I was actually looking for was none other than you Lucy Heartfilia! Destroying Fairy Tail was a bonus to me!" Jose declared with a crazed smile. Lucy went quiet as she realised who could have been responsible for this. "It was your father who hired us to take you back."

"NO! I don't want to ever go back to him of all people!" Lucy shouted defiantly with tears in her eyes, as she remembered how her father had neglected her following the death of her mother, Layla Heartfilia. She had never told her Guild members that she was a runaway with no money except that she made.

"Oh dear, I had hoped you would cooperate, this could be tricky." Jose remarked, with some surprise.

Lucy stopped and looked up before saying, "Can I at least use the bathroom?"

Jose began laughing and he placed a hand on his sides. "That is the oldest trick on the book! You think I'd actually fall for that?" He said out loud. Once he calmed down he threw a bucket in front of Lucy.

"W-WHAT? I have to do it in there?" She cried with disbelief before sighing. "Fine, it's better than nothing." She admitted and she began to strip as best as she could and began to squat at the same time.

"You were serious all this time?" Jose asked incredulously and turned away from Lucy. "I may be the bad guy, but at least I have some standards." He said and waited patiently. Lucy smirked and then in one swift motion kicked Jose right between his legs in the balls. It was hard enough to bring the Wizard Saint to his knees and leave him whimpering on the floor.

"That's why these tricks are old!" She said with a triumphant grin and ran past Jose. She turned left and ran towards what she thought was an exit, but it turned out to be a ledge leading to a very tall drop. Lucy nearly fell off it too and scrambled back to safety.

"I forgot to mention that this is a Sky Prison." Jose said quietly, still recovering from the blow.

"I won't go back there ever again. And I can hear his voice. NATSU!" Lucy shouted as she jumped of the edge without a seconds hesitation. She briefly caught a glimpse of the stunned silence on Jose's face before feeling the air rush past her, forcing her eyes.

Natsu and Rex shouted her name in reply. "Faster, Happy, Faster!" Rex urged the blue Aera user and Happy wordlessly tried to put on as much speed ass he could muster in order to catch Lucy. They ere successful, but Lucy's breasts were in each male's face and she rolled over onto the ground.

"Now that we've got Lucy, it's time for some Phantom Lord ass kicking!" Natsu shouted.

"Are you sure Natsu? Phantom Lord have some pretty strong members." Happy pointed out.

"I don't care, I can beat them all." Natsu asserted with confidence.

"Somehow I highly doubt that." Happy replied, sweatdropping.

"What are you trying to say?" Natsu retorted angrily.

Before Rex could interrupt, Lucy caught their attention as she began crying. "I'm sorry everyone. This is all my fault. But I want to stay with you guys at the Guild no matter what." She said between sobs. This convinced them to returned to the Guild Hall and Happy tried, predictably, to cheer her up with fish.

Back in the Phantom Lord Headquarters, Jose had got up from recovering from the injury that Lucy caused him. The pain wasn't likely to go away immediately. When he remembered that she'd escaped, Jose became angry all of a sudden and a fiercesome aura suddenly surrounded him as his eyes darkened. "Now you've done it Lucy Heartfilia! I won't forgive you for this!" He vowed.

* * *

**Phew, that was a much longer chapter than I thought it would be. 12K words is pretty damn good. Only one thing to explain here.**

**Legendary Formes: **You know, since Arceus is pretty much the God of Pokemon, he is the Alpha Pokemon according to official wikipedias and so on so I thought well why not? Mew's his pseudo-descendant I guess and Mew can transform into just about every pokemon. This also leads me to my next thing I want to say. Pokemon with a Total Base Stat of 600 could keep up with S-Class wizards like Gajeel and Erza relatively easy. A TBS of 700 is probably more than a match for people like Brain/Zero, the Seven Kin, hell maybe even one of the weaker Demon Gates. And anything closer to 800 (Mega Rayquaza, Mega Mewtwo, Primal Groudon/Kyogre) could probably make a decent dent in really strong Mages like Gildarts, Mard, possibly Hades though I'm not so sure.

**Next Time on Guardian Fairy - 15 Minutes **

**Fairy Tail find out the reason for this whole war, but then all of a sudden an unexpected guest arrives with some greetings. As the Guild War rages on, can Rex stop Phantom and keep his head straight?**


	10. 15 Minutes

**And here is Chapter ten. Not much to say except enjoy and remember to leave a review if you have the time. Gotta say I didn't expect people to like the idea of the Legendary Formes.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or Pokemon. They belong to Hiro Mashima and Nintendo respectively.**

**Insane Dominator: **It's good to see that you like it! I had always wanted to do this, but I was initially worried about making it overpowered though he can't keep it up forever. Around half an hour - 40 minutes currently, and that's starting at full steam. Yeah, if things carried on that way Gajeel would probably have had his metal ass handed to him on a Plate. I'm not sure about Aggron v Gajeel, mainly because of the fact that I have something else planned in store for that fight. Rex will definitely fight Jose, but I'm not so sure about Gajeel as I want Natsu to do that with someone.

**ultima-owner:** The first time he probably would not be able to control it at all and would pretty much act like a wild Primal Groudon or Kyogre. After that... I'm genuinely not so sure.

**Previously on Guardian Fairy:**

**Rex: **I should be singing some sort of war song Father. The Guild Hall was trashed by a member of Phantom Lord, a rival Guild to Fairy Tail and apparently declaring war on a legal Guild is forbidden. But the schtick was ruined when not only Gajeel beat up Team Shadow Gear, but also when he beat up Greninja. I was pissed to the point where I actually went Groudon for a while to deliver a beat down of earth shattering proportions. However Master Makarov was defeated in some sort of sneak attack and we had to retreat but not before finding out that Lucy is somehow involved with this. Tell him about that Palkia, but make sure Kyogre doesn't find out okay?

* * *

**Chapter 10: 15 Minutes (aka Element Four Part 1)**

Whilst Rex and Natsu had embarked on their rescue mission, Erza had instructed Alzack and Bisca to take Master Makarov to Porlyuscia, who was an old friend of his and was the Medicinal Advisor for Fairy Tail. Porlyuscia was also a member of the Guild at one point as she had been on the same team as Makarov many years ago. How she arrived on Earth Land was still a mystery.

Porlyusica was a slim and tall elderly woman with pink hair, tied in a bun on the back of her head by two large pins with crescent moon-shaped edges, and with two bangs of hair left framing her face. She has reddish eyes, and a beauty mark located below her mouth, on the left side of her face.

Her attire consists of a dark green blouse with a tie around the collar, paired with a long matching skirt and simple shoes. Over this, she sports a crimson-colored cape, with a wide collar decorated by massive Dragon horn-like decorations protruding outwards, and edges adorned by white, arch-like motifs.

When they knocked on her door she shouted. "I don't care who you are, get out of here!" Porlyuscia unfortunately did not like humans and lived in her secluded home, far away from civilisation. Her home was a hollow tree trunk with a number of bookshelves and a few spare beds for sickly people. There were also a number of strange potions that she kept with her.

Her eyes softened when she saw the pale Makarov. "...Fine, come in." She said with a reluctant grunt and Alzack and Bisca went nervously inside.

The two of them carefully placed Makarov down on a bed. Porlyuscia looked at him seemingly in thought and then her anger flared again as she slapped Makarov several times, much to Alzack and Bisca's amazement. "You reckless idiot! Going to war with Phantom Lord, at your age!" She berated him but Makarov was in not position to argue. Porlyuscia turned to the two who had brought Makarov here. "Both of you leave!" She shouted as she swung her broom about.

Alzack jumped backwards and he asked, "But what about Master? Is he going to be alright?" In an apprehensive tone, eyeing up the broom in case Porlyuscia decided it was open season on humans again.

The grim faced Medicinal Advisor turned back to Makarov and began to observe him. "Worried faces are like poison to a sick man. Makarov has been affected by an Airspace spell known as Metsu. His Magic has suddenly been displaced out of his body and it will eventually dissipate. Recovering it will take some time... and that won't happen if you keep on disturbing me like that!" She shouted as she began whacking them on the head with her broom.

Alzack and Bisca said simultaneously "We're going, calm down!" And they quickly retreated from the hollow tree trunk back to Magnolia Town.

Once Porlyuscia calmed down, she turned her attention back to Makarov. "You stubborn old fool. This is what you get for being stupid!" She screeched, slapping him once more. After taking a deep breath as she began to look through her books for a way of speeding up the restoration process. _Unfortunately the more power a person had when the spell is cast, the worse it is. If Makarov doesn't keep fighting then he'll die for sure. _She thought grimly.

* * *

**At the Fairy Tail Guild Hall**

Everyone was not in a happy mood back at the Hall. Having to retreat from Phantom Lord was one thing, but after finding out that Makarov was seriously ill they began wondering if things could get any worse. Whilst it was true that many of them were feeling low, there were two people who weren't in a good mood in particular. The first was Rex Vermend, who was now chastising himself over the decision to put Greninja on that night patrol.

_Dammit, what the hell was I thinking sending him alone like that? I should've sent Gallade along with him. It's all my fault Greninja is now in the infirmary. Gajeel, Jose, I swear I will make you and any other member of Phantom Lord pay back what you've done in tenfold, but what does Lucy have to do with this? _Rex thought to himself and he could hear Lucy crying along with everyone else in the Guild Hall.

"It's all my fault." She was saying between tears. "This stupid war happened because of me."

"What do you mean by that statement Lucy?" Rex asked as he faced her, making it clear that he wanted to know why she thought that way.

Lucy stared into his calm eyes and felt herself calm down as well. "My full name is Lucy Heartfilia, heir of the Heartfilia Konzern. I lived there for most of my whole life, and when I was very young when it became just my father and I. This meant that I had to stay and live with my father, but when it was just the two of us things became very lonely and cold. He was always wrapped up in his business and never had time for me. Sure, I had plenty of servants who could play with me, but I just wanted to spend some time with my father."

"Unfortunately, even as I grew older he was still busy running the family business and still had little time for me. One day I just got fed up with it all and a year or two ago I ran away from my home in hopes of joining a Guild and eventually I met up with you lot. And my idiot father wants me to come home now of all times?!" She burst out angrily, making everyone except Rex jump back in surprise. "How could he hire Phantom Lord?"

"Will the real Lucy Heartfilia please stand up?" Rex said in a such a way, you could've sworn he was telling a bad joke. Lucy's head shot up suddenly and he could see the tears running down her face."You know, none of us blame you for what's happened. Considering what you've told us, I'd probably would've ran away as well. Can we have the you we're used to seeing? The Lucy who is always embarrassed by her Celestial Spirits, the Lucy who would always tell Happy to shut up and the Lucy who would always hate it when we went over the top and caused some collateral damage."

"Aye!" Happy shouted, in spite of what Rex had about and he flew onto Lucy's lap.

"Yeah! You're also Lucy of Fairy Tail!" Natsu said with a grin. He held an outstretched hand that was clearly meant for her. Lucy looked around at everyone and saw in their eyes that they didn't want to see her in this state. But she also saw that everyone wanted her here at Fairy Tail. Lucy realised that even the Master would have wanted her to stay, and then she began crying again, but this time she jumped into Natsu and hugged him quite tightly. Happy was unfortunately squashed between them and was struggling to breath.

Everyone around began to chuckle at the sight and Natsu was too embarrassed to say anything. But the look on his face was clearly a warning to not make fun of it. "I think that, if I go home then my dad will tell Phantom Lord to stop." Lucy sniffed and Rex shook his head.

"No. I'm sorry Lucy, but even if that happened, Phantom Lord would continue to attack Fairy Tail. The only way we're going to win this is by fighting and defeating Phantom Lord. Am I right?" Rex shouted to the room.

"YEAH!" Came the unanimous reply from everyone else.

_Everyone, thank you. I'd never have thought that you'd react like this. _Lucy thought as she wiped away her tears.

"Lucy, how did Natsu feel? Was he warm and cozy?" Happy said in a teasing tone.

"What are you trying to say you stupid cat?" Lucy snapped, glaring at Happy with a death glare that made the blue cat retreat behind Gray. "And what about your clothes?" She said in shock.

"What, again?" Gray said, as he looked down to see that she was right.

Natsu sneered. "I can't believe you'd strip at a time like this."

Gray stopped and began butting heads with Natsu. "Oh? And I suppose you'll do something about it flame brain?" He said right back, also sneering at Natsu and they were surrounded by an aura. They looked set to fight yet again, until Erza interrupted once more.

"Not now you two!" She shouted. "Rex is right, we have to prepare ourselves in case Phantom Lord strike again. Macao, Wakaba, you two get the Bomb Lacrima ready. Mira, Cana, try and find anyone else who can help. Even if it means contacting any of our other S-Class wizards." She ordered, taking charge and giving instructions to everyone. Once the members began their tasks she looked across the Guild Hall and saw Rex sitting down with a tired look on his eyes. "Is something wrong?" Erza asked, looking concerned.

Rex opened his eyes and looked at her. "No, I'm fine. It's just using that Legendary Forme made me feel tired. I never expected to feel that raw power coursing through me. I would've exhausted myself if I continued fighting Gajeel." _Arceus told me about this, but I never expected it to be like that. But it felt really cool. Imagine what I could do when going Dialga or Mewtwo. _He thought with a smile.

"What was it called... Groudon, right?" Erza asked and she sat down next to him.

Rex nodded. "Yep. Here, I'll show you."

He took out the Pokedex and searched for Groudon. "Groudon, the Continent Pokemon. Groudon is said to be the personification of the land itself. Legends tell of its many clashes against Kyogre, as each sought to gain the power of nature. It sleeps in magma underground and is said to make volcanoes erupt on awakening." The Pokedex beeped as Erza saw what the real Groudon looked like.

Words didn't come to Erza, as she could not believe what she was seeing and hearing. Groudon itself looked similar to when Rex had looked like it, but the size and (estimated) weight threw her off. "That's..." She began but words failed.

"Insane? It's probably the best thing to describe Groudon along with Kyogre. Why not see the other one?" He asked then they turned as Cana let out a frustrated shout.

The Card Mage had decided to try and get Mystogan, but unfortunately for her he wasn't listening or was too busy doing something else. "Where the hell is Mystogan? I can't pick him up!" She said as she threw down a bunch of cards. "I didn't expect a reaction from Gildarts, but... Ugh!" She said, exasperated.

Meanwhile Mirajane was using a Communication Lacrima and was successful in getting through to Laxus, but the arrogant blonde Mage was showing little concern or interest in the matter. "Haha! I can't believe you weaklings let that happen to our Guild Hall." Laxus shouted and Rex stood up, but he didn't see that. "And it's all because of that weak little blonde girl who joined our Guild, what was her name?" Laxus asked, feigning his forgetfulness.

"This isn't funny Laxus!" Mirajane shouted down the Lacrima.

Laxus smirkeds and wagged a finger. "I'll only be interested in fighting for you punks if that blonde girl, you and Cana all become my personal possessions, so how about that?" He asked in an insulting tone.

"You pig!" Cana shrieked and made to hit the Lacrima but Mirajane stopped her, even though the barmaid herself was close to tears.

"Now how is that anyway to treat someone you are calling for help? In fact because of that I don't feel like helping you weaklings one little bit." Laxus said, pretending to be offended. He made to cut the communication but then he saw a pair of red eyes in the communication Lacrima. They were burning so fiercely that he could have sworn he felt the heat coming from them.

"You either join us or LEAVE THE FUCKING GUILD!" Rex shouted as he threw the Communication Lacrima against the wall and it shattered into a million pieces. The last image was that of a surprised Laxus before it fizzled out and became nothing. In fact he wasn't the only one who was surprised by this outburst. Just about was shocked at how violently he reacted to the blonde Mage and his comments and how he stood up for everyone else. "Don't worry about him. Right now our main priority is Phantom Lord." He said in an icily calm tone, and Mirajane bit her lip. His outburst reminded her of what she used to be like before Lisanna died two years ago.

"...Okay, but I'm going to fight as well. I've had enough of feeling useless." Mirajane declared. Cana and Rex exchanged a confused look before he wordlessly went outside and let out all his Pokemon.

"Uh, Mira? You can't fight, especially not after what happened to Lisanna." Cana said, firmly shaking her head.

But Mirajane wouldn't take no for an answer. "I can and I will, regardless of what everyone else thinks!" She said loudly and Cana tried to calm her down. Normally, Elfman would be doing this but the giant was preoccupied with the defense of Fairy Tail.

"I'm guessing from that look on your face Senpai that something is up." Gallade said shrewdly and Rex nodded. Once he finished explaining who Phantom Lord were and why they attacked they each bore expressions of disbelief and fury. "Then why aren't we attacking? That bastard Gajeel defeated Greninja. I'm gonna give him a taste of my Mega Evolution!" Gallade declared hotly.

"I'll be the one to do that Gallade. One Dragon deserves another." Garchomp argued and the two of them began glaring at each other. They stopped fighting and sighed when Rex said that Natsu would be the most likely one who was going to get revenge on Gajeel for what he did to the Guild.

"Hmpf. Figures." They both grumbled.

"Does this mean I can't get in a fight with Gajeel?" Aggron asked moodily of Rex and when he nodded Aggron cursed. "Tartar Sauce!" He added, thumping his tail against the floor in annoyance.

"Don't worry about that Aggron, you might go up against one of the Element 4, squak!" Braviary chirped as he flapped his wings to make sure that they were in top physical condition. It seemed to cheer the Iron Armour up a bit.

"And how are you going to get there Metalhead? We can't fly you over there, you're too heavy." Gallade pointed out bluntly and Aggron growled in annoyance. Though he would never admit it, the Iron Armour Pokemon was secretly glad that he wasn't going. Aggron were very good defensive wise, but their attacking power was average.

"That's all fine and dandy, but we can't go to them and strike back." A slightly subdued Gardevoir pointed out as she looked away from the group.

"Why's that?" Rex asked and in response there was a sudden tremor that shook the place, followed by another, and another. The increase in the magnitude of the tremors began drawing everyone out from the Guild Hall to see what exactly was going on and there was a collective gasp when they saw that across the Fairy Tail Guild Hall was none other than the Phantom Lord Guild Hall heading straight form them. It was moving via six mechanical wooden legs and high up one of the walls had given way to a long large wooden barrel that was held together by metal rods.

No one dared to say anything, as none of them had really seen this coming. Lucy herself was shocked, also because Rex was right in that Phantom Lord wouldn't give up. "No, this can't be happening. It's all my fault." She said.

"What is that?" Rex asked. His mind clearly said danger and he knew that if a Blastoise cannon could easily puncture steel then this cannon could probably annihilate the sheet that it came with easily.

"That's the Magical Convergent Cannon - Jupiter. If that thing is not stopped then a single blast could easily wipe out the whole guild along with part of Magnolia Town. We have to stop that thing!" Erza said, eyes widening and Rex thought he heard something else in her voice, something that was a lot like fear.

"A Cannon like blast huh? I've got an idea." Rex said as he moved to align himself with it.

A large image of Jose's face appeared as a projection and his voice boomed across all of Magnolia. "_**Fairy Tail. I really hope I don't have to resort to using the Jupiter Cannon and I assure you that I mean you no harm. My demands are quite simple and simply reasonable. All I want from you is Lucy Heartfilia, nothing more. You have 5 minutes to think about that decision.**_" Jose stated and that riled up the Fairy Tail members. Everyone at the Guild Hall could easily see energy slowly being gathered towards the barrel of the Jupiter Cannon.

"Jose!" Rex shouted. Everyone was looking at him. "You can take that offer, and send it to the depths of Hades! We'll never hand Lucy over. Never, do you hear me?" He shouted defiantly and that was met with lots of approval from everyone else nearby and a chorus of shouts rose from the Fairy Tail members beside him. Lucy remained silent, amazed at how they still defied him in spite of the obvious danger.

"_**Hmm... I had a feeling you might say that, so I'll have to use force after all. So be it. As soon as Jupiter has finished charging up fire immediately understand?**_" He shouted to four people who were in the room with him and they all nodded but not before they winced at his tone. The main Cannon Lacrima was being charged with four smaller Lacrima - one red, one blue, one yellow and one green.

Erza turned to Rex in desperation. "How do you plan on stopping Jupiter? That thing is too strong for you." She argued.

"No, nothing is too strong. There isn't a battle I haven't been able to handle! **Dual Type: Normal/Fire.**" Rex said and he brought his palms together. After a brief flash of light, everyone saw that his looks didn't deviate from his Normal Forme, but the colours were something else. His hair along with his shirt was now a vivid yellow and his jacket was a fiery orange. The tie was red and his jeans were more of a dusty orange than a fiery orange. The shoes were wholly red.

"I want everyone to get back now! Do not argue!" Rex ordered and the only who even began to object was Natsu, but Happy convinced him to trust Rex. "**Shell Smash.**" He said quietly, whilst everyone was running back 10 metres for safety. Then an array of cracks began appearing over his body and it seemingly broke apart in glowing white light.

Erza almost jumped forwards but stopped when she saw Rex was unharmed. "What was that?" She asked, confused.

"Shell Smash. It's a move that lowers Defense and Special Defense by one stage, but in return Attack, Special Attack and Speed all get boosted by two stages. It's a move that makes the follow up very deadly." Gardevoir acknowledged and Erza blinked in surprise. She wondered how many time he would keep doing that, intentionally or not.

"So what's he going to do, s-squawk?" Braviary said, and he shuffled nervously on the spot that he perched on.

Rex drew his hand together and formed a white orb with a pinkish center as well as a spiralling flame that curled around the outside, releasing a lot of power that could be felt by everyone. At first it was quite small, about the size of Happy's head, but then it got bigger and bigger to the point where it looked more like a large pink and orange ball that was twice the size of a Pokemon Egg. He felt his hair flowing in all directions and his jacket flapping slightly.

"_**Is some pink light supposed to make me scared? Jupiter Cannon - Fire!**_" Jose commanded after he had stopped laughing. A dark orb formed before shortly unleashing a fast, dark purple beam that began heading straight towards the Guild Hall, with Rex being the only person who claimed he could stop it.

Erza was ready to Requip into her Adamantine Armour but what Rex did next stopped her in her tracks. "**Fusion Move - Hyper Blast!**" He roared and released his own attack. The combination of Hyper Beam and Blast Burn was white on the outside and pink on the inside, with the fire circling the inside of the Hyper Blast in two double helix patterns.

It took no longer than 15 seconds for the two beams to meet and the whole crowd was silent, nothing except for the sound of the two roaring attacks as they sped to push the other back. When they met there was an almighty shock wave and a rush of wind as the two attacks met. The water surrounding the epicentre of the beam struggle was forced back and evaporated at the same time, and initially it looked like neither side was going to budge.

Everyone watching the scene before them gasped, even Jose showed signs of surprise at how Rex could easily keep the Jupiter Cannon at bay. The energy collision obscured his view however of Rex, who wasn't doing so well. Having to do this soon after becoming Groudon was taking its toll on him and he began to sweat profusely from the stress. His muscles screamed for him to stop but his mind refuse to let up because it knew the consequences. _Even if I can't push it back, I can at least hold out until it... _Rex began thinking but then felt himself being pushed back slowly.

Gajeel was also observing the struggle along with Jose as well as Aria. "Now you know how much that fire attack hurt Jose, this guy is full of surprises." He snorted with a straight face.

"Yes, it would be truly tragic to lose such a strong Mage such as him!" Aria cried with a smile, despite tears coming down from his face. He then randomly hugged Gajeel, and the Iron Dragon Slayer was taken by surprise.

"Quit hugging me you freak!" Gajeel shouted and he tried to headbutt Aria, only to fall on his face and make a fool of himself. Gajeel growled in annoyance and he picked himself up.

Jose ignored their fooling around. He was concentrating on the scene before him, acknowledging what Gajeel had said with a slight nod. Even though he was in Phantom Lord's Headquarters when Fairy Tail had come calling as Makarov, he had witness Rex and Gajeel fighting each other and was surprised at the formers ferocity once he assumed the appearance of that red creature, Groudon. If that was his power against Gajeel, then how would he fare against himself?

"Don't give up Senpai! Remember Greninja!" Gallade shouted above the noise.

Rex gasped sharply and nodded without turning to him. If he didn't keep this up he would be toast. Rex cried shrilly as he added a burst of power that could clearly be seen travelling along the Hyper Blast. Once it reached the epicentre of the roaring beams, it pushed the struggle in Rex's favour and the Guardian followed it up with another pulse and then another one.

Jose got up as he realised that it was slowly being pushed back to him. Impossible! The cannon was at maximum power and it was being overpowered by one attack! Jose watched with growing horror and the white, pink and red beam pushed back the Jupiter Cannon blast until it could no longer be seen. The energy retreated into the barrel, where there was a sudden white glow and a loud BOOM! could be heard for miles around.

"**Report!**" Jose screeched over the Communication Lacrima and Gajeel couldn't resist a smile.

"**Master Jose!**" One of the communicants said with a frightened edge in his voice. "**It would appear that the opposing beam has not only fractured the Cannon Lacrima severely but it also blew out all the Surveillance Lacrima in that room!**" He reeled off hastily.

Jose felt his anger growing. "**What about Totomaru?**" He demanded, showing more concern for the Element Four member than his Jupiter Cannon.

"**Totomaru has no serious injuries that render him incapable of fighting Master Jose, however he was shaken up rather badly and is coming to his senses.**" A calmer female voice reported.

"**Can we fire again?**"

"**Firing again is possible, however to fire at full power again would require approximately 22.5 minutes charging time and doing so could shatter the Lacrima completely. To fire safely would mean 15 minutes charging time max, we can still deal severe damage to the Guild Hall at the very least.**" She explained, silently hoping to not be attacked out of his frustration. "**Uhhh, Master Jose was that...**" She began.

"**Yes that was all now shut up!**" Jose barked and the communication was cut abruptly.

Meanwhile, Rex staggered and fell to the ground, panting. Erza and Gallade rushed towards him, but right now the only thing he could feel was the sweat rolling down him and the exhaustion from the amount of energy he poured into those two attack. Next time he would not try that again for sure, and Rex also realised that he could now no longer use Hyper Beam and Blast Burn for the time being.

Erza laid a hand on his shoulder and asked sharply. "Are you alright?" Making Rex jump in surprise and back to reality.

"Easy Erza, I'm perfectly fine thank you. I just... need time... to relax and catch my breath." Rex panted heavily, taking regular slow breaths to calm him down.

"What you did was reckless and foolish!" Erza scowled before she couldn't help but smile. "And it was also incredibly brave of you. I think we all thought you weren't going to make it there." She admitted as she began to shake slightly.

_You know I actually wouldn't have if I didn't decide to overpower the Jupiter Cannon._ Rex thought but he didn't want to say it out loud in case he caused unnecessary worry. He was about to say something, but Jose interrupted them, with a level, but serious look on his face.

"_**I won't make this offer again. All I want is Lucy Heartfilia, and I don't want any more conflict between the two Guilds. You can wait fifteen minutes and be destroyed by the Jupiter Cannon, or you fall to my Shades!**_" Jose said and in the distance, Fairy Tail could see that there was a mass of shadows forming into purple robed creatures with red slits for eyes that began flying towards the Guild.

"Our first priority is the cannon, we must stop it from firing at all costs. There will have to be some sort of team that goes into the Phantom Lord Headquarters and stop it, taking out anyone who decides otherwise. The rest of us will defend the Guild Hall." Cana decided, silently taking charge of the defense.

"I'm going! I've got a score to settle with Black Steel!" Natsu declared as he punched the palm of his hand fiercely.

"Aye, sir!" Happy nodded in agreement, confirming that he would naturally accompany him.

"I can't let you have all the fun fireball, I'll go too." A shirtless Gray smirked, and there was something that irritated Natsu at first, but then he grinned back wordlessly.

"Natsu-san, you're not the only one who needs to settle the score with Gajeel. I'm doing this one for Greninja-kun." Gallade said calmly, but if you looked into his eyes you could see his burning passion and desire for justice.

The last person to volunteer was Elfman surprisingly. "I'll go in there and show those Phantom creeps what it's like to be a real man!" He said and clenched his fists in anticipation.

Those words struck a cord in Mirajane who decided that it was best not to argue. But that didn't stop her from wanting to help the Guild. For two years she was the barmaid, always serving drinks, watching countless fights break out, seeing the odd new member come in, and more recently, talked to Rex a few days ago when they met near Lisanna's grave. _Even though Elfman cannot perform a full Take-Over... he can still fight. But I can't, and I've had enough of sitting on the sidelines! I'm going to help them! _"Elfman!" Mirajane said.

"Big sis?" Elfman asked, expecting her to object.

"...Stay safe." She said with a fierce look on her face that unnerved him slightly. Mirajane didn't wait for a reply as she turned and walked over to Lucy and Reedus was standing behind her. Lucy was about to say something but Mirajane held up her hand and she fell asleep. "Take her to someplace safe." Mirajane told Reedus.

"...Oui." The large round wizard said, slightly surprised that Mirajane of all people asked him. Reedus didn't ask any questions as he used his Picto Magic to create a cart and laid Lucy in it before going away from the soon to be battlefield.

Happy flew as fast as he could towards the cannon, and was sort of leading the charge. "You're not going to let a cannon beat you right Natsu?" He asked.

Natsu growled in response. "Of course not, don't be stupid. **Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!**" Natsu shouted as a flaming fist smashed into the cannon from the outside, causing a small explosion. There were several of Jose's Shade Troopers nearby but they were focused on going towards the Guild Hall. "**Fire Dragon's Roar!**" He shouted as he fired his signature stream of flames at the Jupiter Cannon, but it did little other than make a notable burn. "Why isn't it working?"

"Perhaps it would be more effective if you destroyed from the inside?" Happy suggested.

"Great idea, let's go!" Natsu grinned.

"Aye." Happy replied as they flew into and down the long cannon barrel they came into a fairly large room where they could see the grey Cannon Lacrima, and they could clearly see several large cracks out from the center of where they were looking into to. There was four smaller Lacrima around the area as well, but they realised that all they needed to do was destroy the large grey one.

"Alright, let's go!" Natsu said and Happy landed. As soon as the blue cat let go he rushed towards the giant round Lacrima with a blazing fist, but as he got close it suddenly swerved to the side and hit him in the cheek.

Happy sweatdropped. "Natsu you're not supposed to hit yourself." He pointed out in a flat tone.

"I know that! It certainly wasn't me!" Natsu shouted in response.

"It didn't look that way from where I was standing." Happy responded, still not believing him.

Before the argument could get any further in becoming pointless another voice interrupted them. "Salamander is right. I was responsible." The male said. The new voice belonged to a young man with two-toned black and white hair that was black on the left side and white on the right as well as it being tied back. There were three black bars and sharp piercing eyes. He is garbed in a ninja-like attire consisting of a long, orange reddish gi-like cloth, held closed by a black belt, with prominent reddish fur around the collar, and with the sides being made of thick fishnet, with other, looser fishnet appearing on his forearms, with his robe's sleeves being rolled up. His attire is completed by a simple shirt appearing from under his gi, and a pair of loose black pants tucked inside simple black boots. He also carries around a simple katana strapped to his left hip.

"I am Totomaru of the Element Four, and all fire bends to my will."

At around the same time back with Rex and the others, the Guild members present bar the select few who had decided to attack Phantom Lord personally were getting ready to defend against the ghostly Shades. Garchomp had volunteered to transport the group and nobody objected. "Here they come. Get ready!" Erza shouted and Requipped into her Heaven's Wheel Armour. Rex glowed a green colour as he briefly used Recover to stand back up again, and he had plenty of energy left for several fights, without using a Legendary Forme.

"Guess I gotta start things off." Rex said quietly as the swarm approached the group with hands outstretched, ready to attack. "Now!" He shouted and the Fairy Tail members sped into action. He switched to the Zap Plate and sent a Thunderbolt towards a Shade which simply vanished from sight. "Damn, **Discharge!**" He cried as he sent out a strong wave of electricity at the entire group. Several of them were zapped by the souped up electricity but more took their place.

"**Circle Sword!**" Erza cried and sent out a wave of swords at them, which took out a large number but as with Discharge they were soon replaced by more. "Don't let up, we have to keep doing this until we've defeated Phantom Lord!" She said.

"And when will that be?" Macao asked Wakaba as they began firing the Bomb Lacrima at the Shades, destroying groups of them at a time with each Lacrima used.

Rex continued to use the Zap Plate and fire several Electro Balls at the Shade Troopers and then ducked to avoid another, but wouldn't let it get away as he jumped forwards and hit it with Thunder Punch. As he did so he felt something weird inside of him, like the life force was being sucked out of him. "Avoid touching them unless it's with a weapon!" He ordered.

"Or unless Ghosts do absolutely nothing, cacaw!" Braviary screeched triumphantly as he drove through several of the Shades at once using Brave Bird. Before the fight had started, he used Work Up once to give him a slight boost and was grateful for it. He paused briefly and felt the recoil catch up with him. "No time for messing around, squawk!" Braviary chirped and dove to avoid several other Shades that were victims to Gardevoir's Moonblast.

Gardvoir fired another Moonblast, using Psychic to curl it and hit a row of them. One tried to sneak up from behind but she used Psychic to send another one crashing into it, destroying them both. "Tch, typical. They're acting just like Jose, all cowards." She noted, before forming a Shadow Ball and sending it past Loke who was busy with another Shade. He jumped to the floor as he felt the attack whizz by him and smiled weakly in relief.

"Something doesn't feel right." He muttered as he got up before running towards the place where Lucy and Reedus had gone to.

Garchomp and Aggron were full of it and those nearby moved away to give them space to lash out and do whatever the hell was necessary to stop the Shades. "**Stone Edge!**" Garchomp shouted as two ring of stones formed around him, she fired in a seemingly random pattern. Some of them went clean though the Shades, whilst others bounced off and hit several more. Garchomp then used Dragon Dance and launched forwards, surrounded by a blue ethereal dragon. "**Dragon Rush!**" She roared as she ploughed through a number of other troopers, using her increased speed to menace them.

Aggron waited until one of them close in then he lashed out with surprising speed as his tail now glowed a shiny silver. He swung around several times with Iron Tail, hitting a few more. "Huh, you think that just because I'm bulky I'm an easy target? Don't make me laugh!" Aggron chuckled as several Shades charged into him physically. Despite the slightly sick feeling that they gave him the Shades soon realised that they weren't doing much damage to him. "Oh, catching on are we? WELL TOO BAD!" Aggron roared defiantly before charging through, surrounded by blue energy. "**Head... SMASH!**" He roared as he piled five of them on his head before ramming them hard into the ground.

"They're incredible, I've never seen that sort of wild fighting before." Erza admitted, slightly creeper out at how they appeared calm for one minute, but the next they were rampaging as if they were wild. She wasn't the only though.

"Heh, you can say that again. I raised those two to fight with everything they got no matter what." Rex said proudly as he observed the two of them. They had definitely come a long way since they were an Aron and a Gible that was for certain. A slight rumble from the Phantom Lord Headquarters diverted his attention back to the cannon and in his head the timer was ticking to 10 minutes. Whatever Natsu was doing he had better hurry up or else they were toast. "Erza... I want you to clear the path towards the Headquarters, I'm going to join Natsu and others." Rex said.

There was another reason that he wanted to go. Rex felt that when unleashing his Hyper Blast combo that it was doing normal damage. Normally this wouldn't bother him, but as the two attacks clashed he felt something strange and his head began to pound again like it did on Galuna Island. A quick sensory check told him that a plate was in there but for whatever reason it couldn't be identified from where he was standing, which meant that he had to look for himself.

"Are you sure?" Erza asked, not wanting to see him go as well.

"Don't worry about me Erza, you've got Aggron, Garchomp and the others, I'll be perfectly fine." Rex assured her.

Erza nodded curtly and flew up to above head height and then summoned a number of swords. "**Blumenblatt!**" She chanted and then fired a volley of glowing blue swords at the Shade Troopers. It took out the rest of them and for the moment it looked as if they weren't coming back. But for some reason the fact that there were no more didn't put her concern to rest yet she didn't argue.

As soon as there were no more of Jose's Shades Rex switched to the Sky Plate and flew towards the Phantom Lord as quickly as he could with a speed boost from Tailwind. "Come on Natsu..." He muttered underneath his breath, grateful for the increased speed he had, and Rex wondered what was taking so long.

Back inside the Phantom Lord Headquarters, Natsu charged forwards using his Fire Dragon's Iron Fist and Totomaru didn't move an inch, using his Pyrokinesis he forced Natsu into a wall. The pink haired Fairy Tail Mage tried it again with only the same results as before. "Like I stated earlier Salamander, you can throw all the fire you want to at me, but that won't harm me one little bit." Totomaru declared with a confident smile on his face.

"Oh yeah? Well how about trying this on for size - **Fire Dragon's Roar!**" Natsu chanted as he used his signature attack and a stream of fire headed for Totomaru. As demonstrated earlier he used his Pyrokinesis to deflect it, but what Totomaru was not expecting was the follow up as Natsu used his Fire Dragon's Iron Fist to charge towards him. Even though Totomaru repelled the fire he couldn't block the physical attack and was sent crashing into a wall from the momentum of the attack.

"Oh yeah! Score one for Natsu!" The Dragon Slayer cheered, punching the sky with a fist.

"Maybe you should focus more on destroying the Jupiter Cannon than taking care of this Phantom Lord creep Natsu. If there is one thing you're bad at it is multitasking." Happy pointed out.

"What? I'm good at doing multi whatsit!" Natsu responded, blatantly lying about that fact. It looked set to become a pointless argument until Totomaru got up.

"I'll admit you caught me out with that last attack, but that is and will be the last time you'll take me out by surprise Salamander!" Totomaru stated, now beginning to get annoyed with Natsu. "Now watch as my **Blue Fire **will chill you to the bone." A red Seal appeared in front of him and Totomaru unleashed a burst of blue coloured flames at Natsu, who made no attempt to block the move or anything. "Hah, guess he was frozen stiff." Totomaru chuckled to himself and stopped when he heard the sound of Natsu eating the fire.

"Man that flame really is cold, but it's not disgusting so thanks for the meal. **Fire Dragon's Roar!**" Natsu shouted as he once again unleashed a stream of fire to no effect.

Totomaru analysed the situation. "It would appear that neither of us can gain the upper hand despite the fact that we can both use specialised Fire based magic. I can manipulate any fire in the area with my Rainbow Fire Magic whereas you can eat the fire because of your Fire Dragon Slayer Magic. This makes it difficult for either of us to gain an advantage." He noted.

"Really? Then let's see you stop this. **Fire Dragon's...**" Natsu rushed in close but Totomaru didn't move. Even at close range he could still manipulate fire. "**...Spit!**" Natsu finished and spat a piece of fiery orange saliva at Totomaru who stood in shock as it hit him on the face.

"How about tasting my Orange Fire!" An annoyed Totomaru responded as he unleashed a burst of orange coloured flames at Natsu and the Element 4 member cracked a smile at it.

"What's so funny? All I gotta do is..." Natsu began and he ate the flames as usual then he cough and began gagging before rolling around on the floor due to how disgusting it tasted in comparison to Bora's fire. Soon the two of them were acting just like Natsu and Gray. Both of them butt each others heads together in a not so serious stand off. "Ha. Ha. Ha. That last one killed me. That's disgusting." Natsu snapped. "If I can't take you down with my fire then I'll do it the good ol' fashioned way!" He declared and lunged with a fist at Totomaru.

"So now you're going for close combat? That's not a good move Salamander." Totomaru taunted as he unsheathed his katana and slashed upwards at Natsu fist, blocking before launching his own assault of slashes from everywhere except below. Natsu did his best to dodge the sword but was cut several times with it. Once on his head and twice across his body, leaving two diagonal slash marks on his clothes.

"_**Jupiter Cannon will now fire in 2 minutes or less. I repeat - Jupiter Cannon will fire in 2 minutes or less.**_" An autonomous voice announced as the pair of Fire Mages exchanged blows. Totomaru, full of confidence, jumped back onto a high platform whilst Natsu was on the floor, panting but not willing to give up by a long shot.

"Hurry up Natsu! Or the Guild is going to be toast!" Happy said desperately, having managed to avoid most of the fight. He couldn't bear the though of the Guild being destroyed by Jupiter. Even though Erza and the others were defending it, Rex clearly needed time to rest up.

"I know that! Now hurry up and help me here, I got an idea!" Natsu shouted back and Happy wordlessly obeyed his friend. He flew behind him and grabbed Natsu and he jumped at Totomaru show made to block the incoming fist. "I'll show you what makes my fire different to yours, **Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!**" Natsu shouted and threw a blazing fist close range.

Totomaru stopped it with his Pyrokinesis, but not before a fist made out of fire punched the katana out of his hands, much to his surprise. It then curved and the katana ended up piercing the Cannon Lacrima slightly, but it didn't go in enough to make it shatter completely. "My katana! Now you've really done it!" He shouted angrily before punching Natsu hard in the face. Were it not for Happy he would've be sent flying into the wall.

"Heh, now you're getting me all fired up!" Natsu replied with a smile on his face.

"Shut up!" Totomaru retorted and he ran forwards again and threw a fast left hook but Natsu dodged it and followed it up with a kick to his face. Totomaru ignored it out of anger and threw a right hook, and this time Natsu stopped it with his left hand and the two blows were locked in a struggle. "You and your stupid Guild will be destroyed by Jupiter and there is nothing you can do about it!" Totomaru declared.

"Hey pal, it will be?" Natsu said, shifting from a smirk to a snarl. "Nothing is ever certain! So don't pull that mystic future crap on me or anyone from Fairy Tail!" He retorted angrily before landing several punches on Totomaru. The Element 4 member then dodged a hook before responding with a jab, but Natsu saw this one coming and jumped up. Pulling his hands together he drew in his breath and Totomaru smirked. "Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu chanted and he unleashed his attack at Totomaru who deflected it.

"**Jupiter Cannon will fire in 60, 59, 58...**" The autonomous voice repeated as it began to count down from sixty seconds.

What Totomaru didn't see coming as he jumped out of the way was for the flames to arc and swerve around several times before finally hitting it's target. The embedded katana, and there was nothing that he could do as he saw the fire become another fist that wedged it in hard. The cracks that had surrounded it instantly grew until they were across the whole Lacrima and a second later it broke into a number of pieces, and it revealed a large grey coffin looking object that Natsu and Happy recognised from their trip to Galuna Island.

Outside, everyone saw that the dark purple/black orb that had been forming stopped. Whilst it wasn't as powerful as the previous one, everyone saw that it still wasn't something to go around making fun of. To the Fairy Tail Guild members it was a sign to them that Natsu and the others had stopped Jupiter from firing. Everyone cheered until they saw a swarm of Jose's Shade Troopers approaching. "Damn, we have to keep going for their sakes! All we have to do is last until the group inside defeat the others!" Erza shouted in a rallying cry, but inside she couldn't help but feel like something bad was about to happen.

"That's one of Rex's thingamabobs!" Natsu shouted over the background noise.

"It's called a Plate, Natsu." Happy sighed, not believing this.

"Master Jose, it would appear that the Cannon Lacrima has been destroyed in the ensuing conflict between Fairy Tail's Salamanded and Totomaru of the Element 4." A female voice reported apprehensively.

"What?" A shocked Jose replied.

"In addition, it would appear that there are four more members from the Fairy Tail Guild. Two of them have been identified as Gray Fullbuster and Elfman Strauss. The third one is the Multitype Mage who has recently joined Fairy Tail. As for the fourth member we cannot tell who it is but we can assume that he is a companion of the Multitype Mage and we have no idea of his skills." The female replied hesitantly as she showed two images. The first was of Elfman, Gray and Gallade travelling as a group and the second one was that of Rex with the Sky Plate heading this way.

Jose made no hesitation with his next decision. "Very well. Activate the Super Giant Mage Phantom Mark II and prepare the Abyss Break. We must destroy Fairy Tail at all costs!" He ordered in a tone that demanded no objection. Less than a minuted later a rumbling could be heard from the Phantom Lord guild. Whilst everyone outside was looking at the opposing Guild and trying to defend themselves from the Shades, they saw the Guild transforming with their own eyes.

This was achieved by turning the building on one of its sides, having it stand on the mechanical legs placed on that side, and then completely changing its layout, with several legs being detached from the body, a single, more massive pair remaining in the lower part, where the base stood; two more, large limbs sprouted on the top part, some mechanical parts appeared from the main body alongside several pipes, and a small, helmet-like head sprouted on the highest part. The result of such bizarre transformation was a gargantuan, humanoid mechanical being standing on two legs, possessing a pair of large arms, with its dark hands having just the thumbs and two more fingers, and bright "eyes" visible in the crack of its helmet.

Not long after that there was a huge gigantic golden circle being drawn with a hollow inside, but they could sew it being filled in like a pie chart. "That's... the Abyss Break! They're casting a forbidden Spell!" Erza said, eyes widening.

"So how does Natsu and the others in there stop it?" Gardevoir asked as she repelled a wave of Shades away using Psychic, allowing other members to use their spells and hit it. But they were all beginning to tire and the Shades were getting stronger as well.

Erza didn't answer and she looked out at the Seal for the Abyss Break. She hoped that Rex and the others would find some way of stopping it from being cast and quickly. Whilst she was that, it had already filled one eight and showed no immediate signs of stopping.

"Problem, is this thing moving? Because if so then Natsu is in some serious trouble." Gardevoir added and then Erza took the time to realise this and looked suddenly at the Super Giant Mage Phantom Mark II, and the two of them silently hoped that either Rex or the other group of Mages and Gallade would get to where they were fighting.

The two Fire Mages we're about to go back to their brawl until the Phantom Lord Guild initiated the Super Giant Mage Phantom Mk II and then they felt the whole room began to shake. "What's happening? Natsu asked, not understanding what had happened.

"Natsu did you go overboard again?" Happy asked accusingly but then a stray smallish rock fell from the ceiling hitting him on the head. This knocked him out and he fell to the floor, and Natsu felt the room heave underneath his feet.

"Wait, is this thing-" Natsu began and was going to finish by say moving but his motion sickness suddenly kicked in and he fell onto the floor and began to crawl. Even when this finished he didn't improve by much but still tried to get closer to Totomaru, and the Element 4 member looked on in amusement and began to laugh.

"I can't believe this, this is supposed to be the great Salamander?" Totomaru taunted as he continued laughing for a while and then stopped abruptly. He snapped his fingers and an arch of rainbow coloured fire began roaring over him. "Hah, I wanna see you try and stop my Rainbow Fire!" Totomaru declared triumphantly.

Before he could deliver the finishing blow though, someone attacked him from behind with a slashing wave of psychic energy that broke his concentration and he stumbled forwards. Totomaru didn't have time to react as he was then frozen solid and a scaly arm delivered the final blow, defeating Totomaru in a three man strike. "Natsu that was absolutely pathetic! Why are you mucking around at a time like this?" Gray said, with a scowl on his face.

"Yeah, a real man would never let his motion sickness defeat him!" Elfman added with fierce determination in his eyes.

"Okay, I regret saying that I wanted to ignore Natsu-san when this thing started rumbling because I briefly forgot that you had motion sickness." Gallade said nervously and then took note of the Plate lying on the floor amidst the broken Lacrima.

"What?" Natsu growled angrily as he glared at Gallade who put his hands up in a peace gesture.

"I finally get here and look what I see. The whole team gathered together." Rex said with a grin, breathing deeply. "The Iron Plate! Yessss! Steel type here I come!" He cheered as he picked up the grey looking Plate and everyone saw that it flashed three times before it glowed and merged with Rex. There was a golden flare this time as Rex decided to try on the Iron Plate.

Rex now looked bulkier than usual and was slightly taller than normal. His hair was a short dark blue and was styled in a buzz cut manner with a ridge in the middle. His eyes were now a cold grey-blue and his skin a shade darker than normal. He wore a sleeveless silver shirt with metallic grey shoulder armour that also covered the base of his neck. On the armour there was a small silver rounded shield on each shoulder that was the shape of Zoroark's mane minus the tip. The outline was golden with a round red jewel in the middle.

He wore a pair of dark trousers and on top of that there were a pair of armoured boots that went up to his knees. They were metallic grey just like the shoulder and was lightweight but strong and it ended with a curved diamond rising up at his kneecaps. It gave off the appearance of layer and to Gallade it looks like there were Skarmory legs and feet. The way he stood proud and tall seemed to inspire them all.

"Oh and you know what else? This comes complete with a set of armour!" Rex grinned and everyone nearly jumped as they saw his body except for his shoulders, lower legs and hair all become clad in metal, much like Gajeel did with his Iron Dragon Scales. It started with his body and legs and then spread to his face and arms. The lower legs were also clad in armour, but it was a shade thinner.

"That is cool Senpai!" Gallade cheered.

"Yeah, ya gotta admit that Rex has some style." Gray added with a smirk as Rex shed his armour, with it disappearing in a faint white glow. He then repeated this until he felt comfortable and let out a relaxed sigh.

"So what's the plan now?" Elfman said and Rex thought for a moment.

"Here's what were going to do. We split up and find the remaining members of the Element Four. Natsu, Happy and Gallade, you three will try and find Jose or Gajeel, whichever one comes first. When you find them... I don't really need to say that now do I?" Rex added with a grin and they all smirked in response. "Gray and Elfman, come with me. Natsu and Gallade, you'll go down that way."

"Aye aye!" Happy nodded with confidence. They wasted no time in splitting up and not long afterwards Gray, Elfman and Rex ran into some members of Phantom Lord.

"Alright! Time to test out the Iron Plate! **Flash Cannon!**" Rex shouted as he let loose a powerful white beam that sent some of the Phantom Lord members flying. Rex then became encased in his armour just in time to block some sort of projectile Magic being thrown at him. The Phantom Mage's triumphant look quickly turned to dismay as he saw that Rex had taken very little damage. "Fact: Steel types are the best defensively, so don't bother unless you're strong!" He declared. Rex knew that their Special Defense was weaker but he was technically right as they did resist more than any other type.

"Ice Make: Floor!" Gray chanted as he froze the floor in front of him.

"Beast Arm: Black Bull!" Elfman cried as his arm transformed into a large black arm with big muscles and he jumped up and punched the floor, sending a shockwave in front of him and the remaining Phantom Mages collapsed in defeat. "A real man wouldn't give in like that!"

"I think Rex is scaring them more than anyone else including Natsu, and that's something." Gray pointed out and they carried on down the hall, without any further resistance. They stopped when the heard Jose's booming voice from outside.

"_**Well well, what do we have here?**_" He asked, feigning surprise as he saw 'Lucy' walk forwards with her hands up in surrender. In reality it was Mirajane, who was using user Transformation Magic to make her face look like Lucy's.

"Stop this Jose! It's me you want!" 'Lucy' said. Mirajane had even managed to copy her voice perfectly. Many around her were shocked at this sudden turn of events, and they never expected Mirajane to take an active role in helping the Guild against Phantom Lord. It all banked on Jose not seeing through the disguise.

Jose looked at it before cracking up slightly. "_**Ha, you think a foolish Transformation would fool me? Your insolence shall be your downfall, Ms Mirajane.**_" Jose said, smile quickly fading as he easily saw through the ruse. Nobody could move as they saw the arm of the Super Giant Mage Phantom Mark II reach out through the Abyss Break circle and grab Mirajane then bring her closer and she was secured tightly between two hands and they began to squeeze.

"Let... go... Jose!" Mirajane shouted desperately and Jose smiled sadistically, enjoying the scene before him.

"Big sis!" Elfman cried in anger.

"Okay new plan, split!" Rex cried to no one in particular before doubling back on himself a bit and going down a different way. Gray carried on going towards the left arm of the hulking Guild whilst Elfman ran towards some kind of huge bright hall that lead to a balcony not too far from where Mirajane was being held.

_I won't let any harm come to you big sis, I swear!_ Elfman vowed silently and slowed down when he got closer. He could feel a Magical presence nearby but was unable to pinpoint the location. "Show yourself like a real man would!" Elfman shouted and then he saw someone quite literally emerged from the ground.

This person was a slim man of average height with a thin green pointed mustache, thick green hair that pointed upwards and the man wore a monocle with a slim chain over his right eye. His eyes were beady for lack of a better word. He was clad in a formal attire consisting of a brown suit with a ragged collar bearing six prominent protrusions jutting outwards (three on each side) over a white shirt paired with a red tie and simple shoes. He also dons what appears to be a short cape attached to both of his elbows, linking them.

"'Allo, I am Monsieur Sol of ze Element Four." He introduce himself with a French accent as he wobbled from side to side slightly.

"Finally, someone who's man enough to take me on. Beast Arm: Black Bull." Elfman said confidently and his left arm once again became a large black muscly arm.

"You know ze Take Over mon Ami? You must be Elfman Strauss, non?" Sol queried before smiling evilly. "Don't you ave a leetle sister?" He asked darkly.

**And that's a wrap people! Rex now has the Iron Plate! Woohoo! I'll state just for the record that his favourite type is steel (as is mine) which is completely coincidental by the way, but I am pleased with myself about this chapter. I had fun writing the Beam Clash and then the ensuing fight with Natsu and Totomaru.**

**This may sound completely stupid for those not experts with Pokemon, but today through Wonder Trade I got a Adamant Speed Boost Torchic! Jolly probably would've been a better considering this is Speed Boost, but Adamant is just as good.**

* * *

**Next Time on Guardian Fairy - The Earth and the Rain (Element Four Part 2)**

**As the war rages on, Elfman and Gray face off against Sol and Juvia of the Element Four. But what does Sol know about the Strauss siblings, and why is Juvia so gloomy? And how does Rex earning a new Plate change things?**


	11. The Earth and the Rain

**Now onto the next part of the Element Four, along with a surprise in this Chapter! Also, there are more than 40 people who have favourited and/or are following this story. And yet I only have 5 reviews per chapter at the time of writing this chapter. Why aren't there more reviews?**

**Previously on Guardian Fairy -**

**Rex:** Things are looking in our favour Father! We find out that Lucy's father is responsible for this affair because she ran away. Currently the Master is at Porlyuscina who is the Medicinal Advisor for Fairy Tail. I decided to cheer her up along with the rest of the Guild and then Phantom Lord took the fight to us literally with their walking Guild. I had a short beam clash with help from Shell Smash - which might I add is one of my favourite Status Moves ever! Then Natsu went to fight off Totomaru and stop the Abyss Break which could destroy Magnolia Town! And I got the Iron Plate Father! Grey, Elfman and I went our separate ways and it looks like Elfman has found one of the Element Four too.

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**Chapter 11 - The Earth and The Rain (Element Four Part 2)**

"'Allo, I am Monsieur Sol of ze Element Four." He introduce himself with a French accent as he wobbled from side to side slightly.

"Finally, someone who's man enough to take me on. **Beast Arm: Black Bull.**" Elfman said confidently and his left arm once again became a large black muscly arm.

"You know ze Take Over mon Ami? You must be Elfman Strauss, non?" Sol queried before smiling evilly. "Don't you ave a leetle sister?" He asked darkly.

"Shut up and start fighting!" Elfman barked back and lunged forwards but Sol gracefully leaped backwards. Elfman growled as he swung several more hard blows and each time Sol dodged them. One of them hit the pillar hard and several cracks spread along them.

"Non, mon ami! You don't understand. I want to 'ave a talk with you." Sol replied, shaking his head and wobbling his body. It would be interesting if he weren't there for a specific reason. "But of course you must calm down first." Sol tutted.

"I'll only calm down once I've smashed your dumb face in! **Beast Arm: Iron Bull!**" Elfman retorted and his arm transformed into a slimmer metal arm. Elfman roared as the tackled Sol and his fist made contact with Sol's but Sol got into a fighting stance and easily blocked the blow.

"Huh?" Elfman asked in surprise.

Sol tutted again. "Like I said Monsieur Elfman, I wanted you to 'ave a taste of my **Roche Concerto!**" Sol smirked and a yellow Seal appeared on the floor underneath him and as he threw his hands up, rocks burst out from the ground and battered Elfman who raised his arm to protect. "Oh non mon cible, don't tell me you are already down for ze count?" Sol taunted and Elfman.

"Hardly. Watch a man at work!" Elfman replied and swung his fist at Sol, who twisted his body around the Take Over Mage's arm. Elfman growled in annoyance as he swung his Iron Bull Arm around, hitting the floor and one or two pillars several times but Sol smiled in amusement as he felt barely anything from the attacks.

As Elfman began to slow down from the effort Sol asked a question. "Tell me something Monsieur Elfman, since it is true you can only Take Over an arm. Do you have a younger sister called Lisanna Strauss?" He asked slyly and Elfman froze on the spot in shock, and the look on the tall Mage's face clearly wondered how on Earthland Sol knew. "So you want to know, oui? Very well. You 'ad the misfortune to step on me before we greeted each other." He explained as he unwrapped himself and jumped back nimbly.

"**Sable Dance!**" Sol chanted and a seal appeared in front of him and sand began swirling around Elfman. The large Fairy Tail wizard punched it a few times in an attempt to get out but nothing happened. Sol then attacked him multiple times from all around and Elfman barely managed to defend himself against them.

"**Roche Concerto!**" Sol said and another barrage of rocks came out from the ground and pounded Elfman. He stumbled backwards a few steps before Sol jumped forward and threw a few non Magic punches before casting yet another Earth Magic spell on Elfman.

"**Platre Sonatra!**" A Seal appeared in front of him and a giant fist made of plaster punched Elfman back across the hall near to the balcony not far from where Mirajane was being held captive. He was now heavily bruised from Sol and his relentless barrage and it was quite clear that Elfman was being outclassed by Phantom Lord's Element Four member.

"Oh, are you still standing? 'Ow about you give up before this goes too far Monsieur Elfman?" Sol offered. "Why not do a Full Take Over, but you cannot, oui? Especially after what happened to leetle Lisanna Strauss non?" Sol taunted and he twirled his moustache as a most evil idea came across his mind.

"Elfman!" Mirajane cried when she saw him and the manliest Fairy opened his eyes as he slowly got up. "Sol's a member of the Element Four, you can't beat him!" She was crying because she felt useless again, and because she didn't want to face the possibility of losing Elfman as well as Lisanna. Looking at the Abyss Break circle, it was now somewhere between a quarter and a third.

"I'm okay big sis, really. Don't worry about a man like me." Elfman said calmly but deep down he was worried that Mirajane was right. "I ain't some elite member like this clown over here, but I'm a part of Fairy Tail, so I have to win no matter what!" He declared as he stood to face the wiry man. Sol was looking on in amusement as he said absolutely nothing, waiting to see what would happen next.

Elfman rushed forwards to charge Sol again, but he stopped as he swung and gaped in horror. There, facing him was a statue of how Lisanna looked the day she died. Even though it obviously was a fake, his guilt surfaced and he still couldn't bring himself to go through with it. "Ahhh, what is ze matter? Is your guilt still riddling you mon ami?" Sol mocked from behind and Elfman brought his arm round but gasped in shock when he saw that he had decimated another statue of Lisanna and the painful memories.

"Nooon Monsieur Elfman, you 'ave done it again. How could you kill poor Lisanna?" Sol asked in false shock and used his Earth Magic to change the statue so that it appeared as if there was blood coming from the statue. When no one was looking he grinned widely, evilly.

"No... Lisanna... not again." Elfman blubbered as he began to feel the injuries sustained during the fight and wobbled on the spot to Sol's delight. Mirajane wasn't saying a word, she was too shocked to do anything as more and more Lisanna statues appeared, bringing Elfman to one knee from the psychological damage that they inflicted.

Sol was laughing maniacally as he unleashed several Roche Concertos and then paused as if to come up with an even more brilliant idea, brilliantly evil to the Strauss siblings. "How about seeing more of your oh so precious sister?" He asked.

Elfman growled in frustration. "Shut up! **Full Body Take Over!**" He cried and attempted to do the impossible, against the objections that Mirajane briefly shouted. At first a load of energy gathered around him but that faded into nothing and Elfman slumped into another dejected position, once more to Sol's amusement.

Sol looked up at Mirajane and studied her for a second from afar. "So zis is the famous 'Demon' of Fairy Tail oui? But zis is impossible, zere is no way that she has become like this, and yet it is true." He turned back to Elfman before he began to insult him. "You are an impotent Mage. You spout your mouth off about manliness and being a gentlemen for what mon ami? Absolutely nothing. And you will feel zat in your eternal suffering when you are one with ze land. Now observe 'Demon' as I use my ultimate attack, **Merci la Vie!**" Sol finished and he put his hands together.

Elfman was struggling to move now as his bad memories that he had associated with Lisanna began to surface and he fell to his knees in agony, and Sol's spell started by paralysing the legs. The first memory was of back when he was younger and his pet parakeet died. Lisanna had come over in an attempt to cheer him up by saying that all things die, but they can live on forever in their hearts if they remember them. But he had pushed her away and made her cry. The second memory was shortly before the S-Class that involved the Beast. There were two more and the first was the worst memory of Lisanna.

_The Beast seemed to sense them and looked over towards the pair of battered Mages and began to lumber over. Mirajane began wondering how they were going to stop the Beast and save Elfman at the same time when she noticed something that she didn't want to see. "Lisanna!" Mirajane cried out in fear._

_"Everything will be fine, right big brother? I know you can hear me Elfman, you can control it can't you? When this is over, we can get Happy some fish." Lisanna said, spreading out her arms, whilst she ignored Mirajane._

_"Please Lisanna get back!" Mira shouted._

_"You know I'm right big brother, you can control the Beast, because I've always believed in you and never lost faith. So come on, let's all do a Full Body Take Over." Lisanna smiled. It was to be her last as she died in one fell swoop._

_"LISANNA!" Mirajane shouted and ran over to her younger sister._

_"M-mira... it's so dark, but I can hear you..." Lisanna said, trying to turn her neck but being unable to. It was the last thing Mirajane heard from her and she screamed her deceased sister's name. _

Then a more recent memory surfaced, it was the last one that Elfman expected to see.

_It had been a day after the Changeling Incident, and currently Rex was using the bathroom and had just begun to start showering to freshen himself up. Elfman was glad that he was currently preoccupied with something else, because it meant that he could have a private word with Mirajane. "Big sis." He said in a firm tone that made Mirajane stop instantly and pay attention to him._

_"Is something the matter Elfman?" She asked nervously, unsure of what he was going to say._

_"What did Rex say to you when he went to Lisanna's grave?" He asked in a neutral tone._

_"Ladadi ladada ladadoo-oo, lalala buda baaaaahaaaah-" Rex sang in an off tune tone before going into a small coughing fit and he decided not sing again in case his singing voice tried to choke him again. He was adamant it wasn't his fault, but the fault of the singing voice._

_Mirajane looked surprised at that statement. "What do you mean?" She asked carefully._

_"You know what I mean big sis. A couple of night ago I felt your power flaring, and so did Rex, but he was asleep so he hasn't realised yet." He explained and the look on his face made it clear that Elfman would not take no for an answer._

_Mirajane realised that it would be useless in arguing with him so she sighed and owed up. "Well, when we were at Kardia Cathedral he told me that he heard the whole story about Lisanna and how Happy had hatched from the egg. Then he showed me a picture of his parents and told me that they died in an accident when he was very young, about the same time we joined Fairy Tail. Rex said that the reason he is where he is now was because that one day he got fed up of crying since he knew it would help no one, and he told me that I looked better when I smile." She explained and Elfman relaxed a little._

_"So what did you try and do last night?" Elfman asked._

_"I realised that he was right and I tried to use my Satan Soul." Mirajane admitted reluctantly._

_"But big sis, you haven't-" Elfman began to protest and Mirajane stopped him._

_"Yes I know. I haven't used it for two years. He also said that Natsu and you also think about how you should have been there or that you should have been stronger. Elfman." She said and she took a deep breath. "I don't blame you for what happened that day. I never have and I never will. It's time I stopped crying and so did you." Mirajane looked into his eyes fully this time and Elfman could see the change in her eyes._

Despite the fact that he was almost completely a statue, Elfman then realised he could hear Mirajane crying and then did something a currently jubilant Sol would never have expected him to do, and that was to get up. Rex was right, the only way to win was to stop crying and keep moving forwards. "No more." Elfman said as he got up with a fire in his eyes. "I won't cry any more!" He shouted an was glowing a purple light and man squares suddenly appeared all over his body and then began glowing gold.

"Non, what is... Impossible! He is trying again?" Sol exclaimed jumping in surprise and fear.

"Don't do it Elfman, you can use a Full Body Take Over!" Mirajane protested as she tried and failed again to get free from the Super Giant Mage Phantom Mark II.

"**Full-Body Take Over: Beast Soul!**" Elfman cried. Elfman's size increased exponentially, with his arms growing longer, larger and sprouting sharp claws, and he becomes covered in thick maroon fur, with his abdomen and pectorals prominent in the middle. His hair now took on a mane-like appearance, his ears and canine teeth become pointed, and he grows a pair of striped yellow horns pointing upwards, starting from a plate on his forehead. This new Elfman let out a bellow that shook the hall and could be heard across Magnolia.

Back at the Guild the Fairy Tail members were still trying to hold as many of them off, but it became increasingly clear that the war had to have been finished quickly otherwise they would get swarmed under by Jose's Shade Troopers. To make that point even more desperate a number of the Fairy Tail members were already running low.

"We've gotta end this quickly somehow!" Macao shouted.

"Damn, if only Mystogan or any of our other S-Class members were here. Gildarts would definitely be a big help wouldn't you agree?" Wakaba added and he panted from exhaustion.

"Yeah, but in case you haven't noticed, we don't!" Cana said snappily and she threw several more cards, creating an explosion that defeated a Shade, barely though. Wakaba didn't respond, they were both feeling a little high strung and were not in any mood to be lectured, though the fact that the only very strong person with them was Erza was problematic.

"Nevertheless we have to keep going. **Requip!**" Erza said and she changed armours to her Black Wing Armour. "**Moon Flash!**" She cried and she charged at a group of Shades, defeating them by slashing with a horizontal cross. Erza dove down as a few Shades pursued her and she pulled up after they came into contact with Aggron's Iron Tail. She was about to strike another when a giant roar could be heard and everyone except the Pokemon present felt a magical pressure from the Super Giant Mage Phantom Mark II and paused to turn in that direction.

"Who was that?" Jet asked, not recognising the large maroon beast that looked rather small from where they were.

"No... that's Elfman!" Erza said, eyes widening in surprise. Many others had looks of disbelief as they realised that what she said was true. The Pokemon also displayed surprise, though not nearly as much as the others because they had never met Lisanna or seen Mirajane when she acted a lot more difficult. "He finally performed a Full-Body Take Over!"

"Good for him." Gardevoir noted and the smile on her face was something the others didn't quite understand. "He can finish the fight, and we have to here!" She cried, encouraging the Fairy Tail members and they nodded and began feeling energised again.

Back at the Phantom Giant, Sol looked on in horror as he realised that he may have pushed Elfman too far and actually helped him. All this flashed within his mind as he felt the Beast loom above him. "Non, c'est impossible!" He whimpered as it snarled at looked directly at him with a cold look that told him to be prepared. Sol tried dodging out of the way but a large fist swept into him, sending him crashing into a pillar. Elfman then jumped and delivered several powerful blows that hurt Sol badly.

Whatever defense Sol previously had was now gone as Elfman was no longer hesitating. "Ah hehe, I never really meant anything I said Monsieur Elfman, I was only lecturing you on 'ow to be proper gentleman, non?" He said weakly in hoping that it would at least spare him from whatever was next. It didn't as Elfman delivered a brutal finishing punch that defeated Sol in one blow. He lay on the ground with a swollen face and a broken monocle, and with his mouth hanging open.

Elfman, still in his beast form, had one more task to do. He walked over to Mirajane who stared dumbly at him and wrenched open the hands of the Super Giant Mage Phantom Mark II before gently laying the barmaid down beside him. Mirajane watched as he transformed back into himself with a purple flash, and then she hugged him tightly after a minute of them just staring at each other ignoring the chaos around them.

"I nearly lost you." She said quietly and she sniffed. Mirajane looked as if she was going to cry again. "I thought-"

"That I might have lost control of my Beast Soul like the last time when Lisanna died?" He finished quietly.

"Yeah, but when I saw you beating Sol up I realised that you remembered what we had discussed. And now we can start living a full life, without worrying about our guilt for Lisanna." She admitted and began to smile, which Elfman returned. _Thank you, Rex. _They both thought and then Elfman noticed.

"Look." He said and Mirajane saw what he saw. Whilst fighting with Sol, the Abyss Break had already made it past the quarter mark. Now it was almost at a third, but it was also looking visibly slower when drawing it in comparison to earlier.

"The Seal is being completed at a slower rate. Does this mean that if we defeat the Element 4 we can stop it from being casted?" Mirajane asked then remembered that there was one person who could help them with this theory. "Warren!" She called out.

Warren Rocko was a slim man of average height with black, straight hair, which was initially styled in an undercut-like fashion, with most of it being kept quite short aside from a prominent wisp on the right part of his face. Warren has black eyes and a mildly prominent nose, with his most distinctive facial feature being likely his long, and thick lips.

Warren donned a high-collared red jacket, with striped brown padding over the shoulders and neck areas, with part of it protruding downwards on the chest, following the zip closing the jacket. Each of its light-colored cuffs bore a line on the back edge, and the jacket was closed around Warren's waist by a light belt with a round buckle, somehow shaped like a mechanical device, with a small, dark capsized pyramid on it. He also wore a pair of light-colored pants tucked inside boots, with the parts covering his feet being black, and the ones coming down from his elbows being reminiscent of light, loose shin-guards made of cloth. "Yeah Mirajane is that you? I got you linked up to everyone over here, is Elfman okay as well?" He asked using his Telepathy.

Elfman snorted. "Of course I'm okay, what sort of question is that?" He replied and Warren chuckled.

"Well it's good to see that you're still kicking." Warren grinned, but Elfman couldn't see it.

"Anyway, we think we know how to stop the Abyss Break." Mirajane announced and at once there was a babble of voice that put Warren under more stress than usual because either everyone wanted to know if she okay or they wanted to know how to stop the Giant.

Eventually Erza interrupted before it got out of hand. "QUIET!" She shouted over everyone and she got quiet. "Thank you."

"Excellent, I'll link up with Natsu, Gray and Rex." Warren said and after what felt like an agonising wait he announced. "Hey, can you hear me?" He tested cautiously.

"Huh, what the hell is up with the voices in my head?" Came the slightly distorted voice of Rex Vermend.

"That's Warren's Telepathy." Happy replied despite being most likely on the other side of the Giant.

"Hold on a second Rex your voice has gone fuzzy for a moment, I need to adjust the connection." Warren said as Rex felt a slight pressure in his head, but it didn't feel malicious. "There, better. I contacted you to know that Mira and Elfman may have figured out a way to stop the Abyss Break."

"Really, well speak up!" Rex encouraged. Natsu and the others were also interested too at this change in events.

"We aren't certain, but we think that the Abyss Break is fuelled by the Element Four. So if we take them all out we stop Magnolia Town from being destroyed." Mirajane said and Rex nodded.

"Okay, so what was that roar earlier?" He asked.

"That was Elfman performing a Full Body Take Over, but he's got full control over it." Mirajane added quickly as there were a few sharp intakes of breath, including Rex's. The Guardian sighed in relief.

"Okay, thanks for the information Mira, that was really helpful." Rex said, grinning as he began to run again.

"I still wanna beat Black Steel!" Natsu vowed, but Warren stopped using his Telepathy.

"Aye, sir!" Happy agreed.

"But we can't just run round every corridor that we come across. We need to try and find them with our brain." Gallade pointed out.

Natsu didn't understand it. "How is our brain going to help?" He asked, completely missing the point.

Happy sighed. "Gallade means we can't leave it to pot luck. Can't you sniff Gajeel out or something?" He suggested.

"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Natsu asked and Gallade didn't bother with making a comment. The three of them stopped as Natsu moved his head from side to side, sniffing the air in hopes of finding a scent that would lead them straight to Gajeel. "This way!" He said and the began veering off to the right.

* * *

**Elsewhere, with Gray.**

The raven haired Mage was now outside on one of the outstretched arms, searching for one of the remaining members of the Element Four. After Warren stopped his telepathy, Gray encountered a few groups of Phantom Mages, but there was nothing that he couldn't handle at least for the time being. _Damn, I can't see any sign of the Element Four, where could they be?_ He wondered as he took several steps forwards. As soon as he checked each room, Gray would he back. Then he paused as he felt a drop of rain hit his nokise and Gray looked up.

"That's odd, wasn't it sunny only a minute or so ago. There weren't many clouds in the sky either." He observed and frowned slightly, still trying to figure out what or who was behind this crazy.

A monotonous sounded from nowhere and that was the closest thing Gray got to an answer. "Drip drip drop." It came from a woman who had just appeared. She was a slender, young woman with blue hair, dark blue eyes, pale skin and a curvaceous figure. She had long hair, tightly curled at the base, wearing a navy blue coat, a fur shawl with a teru teru bōzu attached to it, as well as a Russian Cossack hat. "I am Juvia of the Element Four."

"So you're another one of Jose's elite? Guess that make things easier for me and don't think that I'll go easy because you're a woman." Grey stated confidently.

"I'm impressed that your Guild have taken down two of the Element Four, but now the remaining two are the strongest members." Juvia replied emotionlessly. The two of them stared each other down for several until Juvia felt her blush for some reason. "Okay, I give up you win!" She said quickly.

Gray looked confused. "Huh?" He uttered and then suddenly he found himself in Juvia's Water Lock and struggled to get out. Gray let out a yell of pain that was inaudible as he felt the wound sustained in his fight against Lyon flare up again.

_Oh no, I hope I haven't hurt him too much. _Juvia panicked and then tried to stop the feelings that were running rampant in her mind. Confusion, mercy and... affection? Juvia said nothing as she then saw something that surprised her.

Gray, determined to get out, froze the Water Lock and it shattered after a while. "Okay, that was a pretty smart sneak attack but that'll be the only one, **Ice Make: Lance!**" Gray chanted as he prepared the spell.

Juvia stood there, still unmoving. "This is the first time I've seen anyone break out of my Water Lock spell, I'll admit." She acknowledged, still trying to shake off that feeling of uncertainty that was plaguing her mind. _And that Ice magic was beautiful, he's like my darling prince! _She thought and then she stopped those thoughts abruptly.

Gray didn't hesitate in casting the spell, and was them shocked to see that her body was made of water, and the attack did practically nothing to her. "Surprised that my body is water? I am one with the rain." Juvia asked.

"Yeah, but I've no need to worry." Gray replied, shaken at first by her unique body properties but he ran closer and then placed his hands on the floor. "**Ice Make: Freeze!**" He cried and put both hands on the floor. The ice travelled quickly to Juvia and it froze her, but it took a few seconds for her to break out of her icy prison.

"Ice is merely frozen water. Freezing me won't make any difference." Juvia stated in a matter of fact tone and Gray had to think for a bit. _No, he assaulted me. This means we're war and I have to win._ She thought and then a sea blue Seal appeared. "**Water Slicer!**" She chanted monotonously and then sent a fast ripple of water that destroyed a tiny part of the Giant by easily cutting through the stone. "These high powered jets of water can cut through steel so don't underestimate them." Juvia warned.

"**Ice Make: Battle Axe!**" Gray chanted, undeterred, and created a large axe. Then he tried to attack Juvia again, but as before with his lances, the attack merely splashed through her body, not affecting her.

"As you can see there is nothing that can touch me, physical or magical." Juvia said before using her Water Body to push Gray back closer to the edge and Gray stumbled. Juvia then hesitated, wondering if she should save him from falling, but Gray managed to regain his balance.

"Okay, I've had enough fooling around, now it is time that I start getting serious." Gray noted and then to Juvia's surprise, he took off his shirt and sight of his body made her blush.

_I never realised he wanted to take it that seriously already! And we've only just met too!_ She thought quickly and then stopped blushing. "All that Master Jose wants is Lucy, nothing more. If you give her up then we will leave you in peace." She said. It was not a request, it was a demand.

Gray shook his head in response. "That ain't possible now, both side have already committed themselves to the fight, and we ain't going to stop until the other one does. Lucy is one of us and right now I'd sooner die than hand her to you Phantom scum." He declared.

Unfortunately for him that went through Juvia's head and she only came to one somewhat misguided conclusion. _Lucy is my love rival! Only one person was destined for my darling and that is me! _She thought and Juvia let that charged up anger go through to her body. Within seconds it was steaming and looked as if it were boiling up. "I can't ever forgive Lucy!" She shouted angrily.

Gray moved a bit down the arm. _Why is she getting mad over Lucy, and is that water now boiling? _He thought and took up a stance only to find himself reeling from a blast of compressed boiling water. "Damn!" He shouted and he tried to dodfged several more blasts of boiling water, but they also made they mark and Gray tried to freeze them, but with no luck. When there was a gap in the attacks he quickly jumped and formed an Ice Make: Shield.

"That won't help you!" Juvia screeched as she unleashed a powerful boiling blast of water that propelled Gray up. Gray grounded his teeth together as he tried to block the hot water but it was melting the ice an after a few seconds of desperately holding out against her the Ice Shield melted and Gray felt the full impact of it.

Gray fell onto the floor and he could see an enraged Juvia coming closer towards. "I've got one shot at this!" He said out loud and he ran towards Juvia, who was now surrounded by a geyser of water that was boiling, and you could see the steam coming from it. But Gray noted that the steam was now forming a mist that partially hid him. It wouldn't hide him completely but it was enough to give his opponent some difficulty when aiming for him. Juvia sent another powerful blast of boiling water that hit the wall and Gray ducked as it produced a lot of steam that helped make the mist thicker and into more of a fog.

"That's clever of you, using the mist to hide yourself from my attacks, but that won't save you or Lucy!" An enraged Juvia cried as she decided to fire a larger wave of water that swamped the whole battlefield and followed with a strong jet of pressurised water when she found Gray, sending him high into the air again.

This time Gray tried to block it with his bare hands and felt the water disperse but his hand and arm getting warmer as it made contact. "Damn, gotta try and freeze this water somehow. **Ice Make: Freeze!**" He chanted as he jumped into the boiling water, surprising Juvia.

When the mist cleared Gray gave a horrified cry of embarrassment. Whilst he had managed to freeze the boiling water, he had accidentally groped one of Juvia's breasts and she was blushing in acknowledgement, even though she couldn't see it and that in her mind made her certain that Gray wanted her as a partner. "Well there is something I want to tell you... That is I wanted to say... That..."

"Man, did the rain just get heavier? It's really gloomy." Gray noted, completely ignoring her.

Juvia stopped moving and felt a shudder down her spine. _No... No... No! He's just like the rest. They are all animals! _She thought with despair. Juvia remembered when she was very young it was always raining around her and as a result was mocked and teased for it, being called Rain Girl amongst other things. She tried making teru teru bozu dolls in an attempt to stop the rain. But nothing happened and she was still mocked by the other kids. The rain followed her no matter what, even at the beach or at the fairground.

People around her constantly expressed their disappointment at what should've been a nice sunny day and more recently she had a relationship with Bora but they broke up because of the rain. Juvia also remembered how Jose was the only one who had taken her in, and because of that she would obey his every command no matter what. "I've had enough with people rejecting me! **Sierra!**" She shrieked and her body became clear like water.

"Huh?" Gray said, snapping out of his thoughts and had no time to defend himself as she launched at him like a rocket with water that was quite possibly hotter than the last time. _Damn, I gotta freeze this water quickly. _Gray thought and attempted to freeze it but Juvia was simply too hot for him.

Juvia moved back to recover for the next attack and Gray got up again. He was panting heavily and looked up in time. "I am part of the Element Four, a Phantom Mage!" She shrieked with fury.

"There is no way I'm going to lose to a Phantom Mage." Gray said as he got up in time when Juvia used Sierra again. She felt a large amount of Magic energy coming from him and he put his hands together. "**Ice Make: Geyser!**" He shouted and managed to freeze her water long enough to make a geyser composed of ice. Even then she saw the beauty of his ice and smiled. _It truly is beautiful, after all. I cannot deny my love for him. _She thought.

Then the ice cracked apart and broke into a number of pieces. Juvia began falling and wondered if this is a fitting end, falling like a raindrop, accepted only by one person. She then realised that she wasn't falling anymore and Juvia looked up. She gasped when she saw that Gray was holding her hand. "You saved me? But why...?" She asked, unable to form words.

"You may be at war with us, but we do care about your life." Gray replied simply and Juvia realised that at Fairy Tail accepted anyone and nobody was forgotten, not even Lucy who was a major part of this Guild War. When Gray lay her down on the floor, she saw something she never expected to see - the sun.

"This is the first time I saw the sun with my own eyes." Juvia admitted.

"Really?" Gray asked, shocked at how such a thing was possible, but he realised that it did explain her pale skin. Juvia squealed and fainted, but not after deciding that she would join Fairy Tail soon. "What was that squeal for anyway?" Gray said aloud and took a few breaths and then jumped up as a movement caught his eye, but dropped it after seeing it was Mirajane and Elfman.

"Are you okay Gray?" She asked and firmly grasped Gray, who took not of a strange feeling within he but didn't question it.

"Is this your opponent. She doesn't look like a real man." Elfman said, noting the unconscious Juvia.

"That's because she isn't. And for some reason I get the feeling that we won't see the last of her. What about Rex? Nothing from him? Or Natsu?" Gray asked. Then he looked at the wave of Shades and the trio of wizards looked on in shocked as a wave of fire and ice tore through the Shades eliminating all of them.

"What was that?" Mirajane asked, not denying her surprise. "That feeling... Is it?" She began.

Back at the Guild, the only ones still fighting were Erza and the Pokemon and even with them they were all struggling. Gardevoir had to take a breath and sit down to regain some of her lost energy and let her mental state recover. She had worked herself out a lot using Psychic and that put her under a lot of mental stress.

"**Stone Edge!**" Garchomp cried as he sent out two consecutive waves of small sharp stones at the Shades.

Aggron used Iron Defense to boost his Defense further, but his Special Defense was not helping him as the Shades were now adapting and used orbs of dark energy. "Hah, you're still a bunch of idiots. **Metal Burst!**" Aggron chanted as he fired a white orb that exploded in a group of Shades, sending out a blinding light and defeating them. The beauty was that Metal Burst dealt 1.5x the damage taken, which meant that he could exploit his average Special Defense.

"Crap, I've used Work Up to the max and now Brave Bird is really taking it out of me. Now to switch to Plan B. Heat Wave!" Braviary cried and he let loose a powerful wave of heat at another group. As soon as he finished his attack Braviary landed and panted. "Need a restorative of some sort. Can't carry on, cacaw..." Braviary trailed off and slumped forwards, with his tongue hanging out slightly.

"Damnit Braviary, focus! A Pelipper has a beak, not a bill." Garchomp said before using Fire Blast and sending a powerful blast of fire at the Shades.

"What did you say?!" Braviary leapt up again in anger. "Did you just say that a Pelipper has a BEAK?!" He screeched and a few of them flinched.

"No that wasn't me it was them." Garchomp shook her head, feigning innocence and pointing at the Shades who paused, whether or not deciding the outburst from the Valiant Pokemon was good or bad.

Braviary said nothing as he glared fiercely at the Shades who backed away slightly as they made up their minds, quickly deciding that they didn't want to see this angry bird let out its rage on them. "I usually hate using this move because I prefer Brave Bird, but now I'm gonna use it. **Zen Headbutt.**" Braviary said the move quietly and charged at the Shades enveloped in blue psychic energy. Then he relentlessly pursued the Shades defeating one after another - right up until they unleashed a number of dark orbs at Braviary and sent it crashing into the ground, closer to Garchomp than Aggron.

"He's gonna come up with a few scars." Garchomp observed.

"Is that important?" Erza queried.

"Not particularly to a normal person but to a Braviary scars are important. The more scars they have the respect they get from their fellow peers. It doesn't matter where it is, the fact remains that scars are a sign of hierarchy amongst the Braviary." Aggron explained.

Erza paused to take that all in for a moment. Then her attention turned to the Shades and she requipped to a longsword and began to attack and move to another spot quickly to avoid being hit by the dark orbs tat were sent her way, she then requipped to a pike and began sending the dark orbs back at the Shades, a tactic that proved helpful. But even the mighty Erza was still human and was tiring as well.

She cried out as she felt a barrage of dark orbs pound her from all around. Aggron jumped over her and shielded her from another barrage of orbs and he grunted as they pounded him. "We need to take them out again and make sure they stay out." Erza said and Aggron nodded in agreement. Then they all felt the sun shining again and Garchomp was relieved for a second and then fired a Fire Blast that was stronger than the last one.

"Crud." Aggron swore as he pushed himself up. "I'm beginning to flak as well. And at the worst possible time. This either means my defense is incredibly awful or incredibly good."

"I would assume it was incredibly good." Erza said with a smile.

"Yeah but I gue- wait a second, are you trying to say that I have an awful defense?" Aggron growled in anger. This motivated him to work hard and he used Metal Burst once more to defeat another group of Shades. "Haah, we need to take a break and soon, we're pushing ourselves too far. Either a break or finishing this now." He said and Erza took note of his surprising sharpness.

"**Two Layered Circle Magic: Ice Fire Cannon Wave.**" A calm voice said from above on the balcony of the Guild Hall and everyone turned to see a red Seal and blue Seal appear in front. Then they felt energy being drawn to the center most point and shortly afterwards a fast wave of fire and ice surged forwards like a powerful wave of water, eliminating the Shades.

They all turned to see a man who wore a dark blue bandana with a silver forehead protector, and a green mask that obscured the bottom half of his face. He wore a strange blue costume with a large green belt across his chest, holding three Magic Staves whilst the other two were stood side by side. Around his arms and legs there were many bandages and his hands were gloved and he wore a strange set of pants and a pair of sandals.

"Is that... Mystogan?" Erza said in surprise. Many other members realised this as well whilst he collected his Staves and jumped down to meet the other Fairy Tail members.

"I've been trying to contact you! Why didn't you respond?" Cana asked irritably.

Mystogan turned his head slightly and said nothing for a while and everyone felt the breeze blow from behind him. There was a flock of something on the sky and then as it got closer Braviary drew in a breath. "Is that a bunch of flags with the Phantom Lord Guild Marks on?" He said calmly and everyone waited until they got closer.

A purple piece of cloth hit Cana in the face. "Hey, Braviary is right! This is the Phantom Lord Guild Mark." She said, surprised.

"I was busy with their subdivisions and helping Makarov." Mystogan said shortly and turned to face the Super Giant Mage Phantom Mark II. "The Abyss Break is even slower than before." He noted out loud and everyone turned to see that he was right. It was past the halfway mark but now it looked like it was drawing at a snails pace.

"Then Mirajane was right about the Element Four being the power source. Gray managed to take down the third member of the Element Four, Juvia and now there is only one left. And Rex is heading right for him." Warren said, checking with his Telepathy.

There was a booming muffled noise and many of the Fairy Tail Mages flinched. It was much clearer now and the sound of Jose's voice could be heard for miles around once again. Another image of Jose appeared and this time he was without his wizard hat. "You are a very persistent bunch Fairy Tail. I'm beginning to get irritated and I don't get irritated often. What is holding me back is the fact that Phantom's two most powerful Mages are still in and that I have captured Lucy Heartfilia. Very clever, hiding her and have Mirajane disguise herself as Lucy. A shame that it didn't last long." Jose said mockingly and that drew a number of shouts from the Fairy Tail members below.

"SILENCE! And what's more I have a number of Fairies still running around the premises, trespassing. I'll have to deal with them and let Aria and Gajeel have their fun. This is a war that will be won no matter what the cost!" Jose screeched and cut the transmission.

Silence followed the anmouncement and eventually Cana got up. "I'm going to their Giant Phantom Robot III and I don't care what happens!" She declared but was stopped when a Magic Stave was held by Mystogan across her body. "Let me through!" Cana demanded in a threatening tone.

Mystogan was unfazed however. "I cannot allow that, because you're more or less out of Magic power. Erza, go and help Rex. He will need it. Don't worry about me, I can handle anything that Jose sends out my way." He turned to the red haired S-Class Mage who nodded dimly. After taking a deep breath she requipped into her Black Wing Armour and began flying towards the Super Giant Mage Phantom Mark II.

Cana turned back to Mystogan. "Are you crazy? She's been fighting all this time and you expect her to fight some more?!" She shouted and looked as if she was about to explode.

Mystogan stood his ground and paused for a bit. "If Erza or Rex faces off against the likes of Aria or Gajeel then there is no problem. If they find Jose however than on their own they don't stand a chance. But if they work together then there shouldn't be much of a problem in theory." He concluded and Cana settled down. However there was a new problem that Gardevoir spotted. That was due to the fact that Mystogan had said in theory and if what Gardevoir had thought he meant was true then her Trainer was in trouble.

* * *

**Inside, with Lucy**

Lucy Heartfilia groaned as she woke up. She couldn't remember much of what happened except that Mirajane had put her to sleep and then they were moving and after that she felt someone pull her over her shoulder. When she realised where she was and who was with her she gasped in shock. What happened was that Gajeel found out Lucy's hiding spot and avoid detection by the other Fairies. Accompanied by Boze and Sue, two other members of Phantom Lord, they ambushed her, Reedus and Loke in a short but brutal fight. Boze and Sue overwhelmed Reedus whilst Gajeel defeated Loke with relative ease but not before noticing how he smelt different compared to the other Fairy Tail members. Lucy tried fleeing but was beaten bad by Gajeel.

When taken back to Jose, he was impressed with Gajeel and asked, "I'm pleasantly surprised. How did you manage to locate Lucy Heartfilia?" He asked, genuinely impressed for once.

"Geehee, never underestimate a Dragon Slayer's nose Jose." Gajeel said with a grin on his face as he held Lucy by the hair.

"Tell me, is she alive? If Lucy is dead then she's of no use to me." Jose pointed out and Gajeel complied by throwing her to wall and she cried out in pain. That was enough to get her to whimper in pain and crawl very slowly away. "Take her to holding chamber." Jose said dismissively turning his attention back to the battle between Juvia and Gray that was going on. After seeing that the Fairy Tail wizard triumph he stood up. "Maybe it's time I entered the fight as well." He muttered as he walked out of the room.

To pass the time Gajeel decided to have some fun with Lucy and rough her up a bit. But it appeared that his comrades didn't fully relish the idea. "Hey Gajeel, could you stop it. The boss said we needed her alive. If you're not careful then she will die." Boze pointed out. Boze is a dark-skinned bald man. He wears a reddish-violet V-necked shirt under a pale-green jacket, with a furry blue trim around the collar. He also sports a pair of gold-framed glasses that have purple lenses, with one of these lenses being mostly broken.

His partner Sue backed him up. "Yeah Gajeel, this is like totally messed up." Sue has light brown skin with short, dark green hair. She has a small, green oval-shaped jewel (similar to a Bindi) in the center of her forehead and small red earrings. She also wears a purple, jester-like hat adorned with the Phantom Lord mark. Her usual attire consists of a blue shirt with ripped sleeves, and green pants held up by a buckle belt. Sue also has reddish-pink bandages wrapped around her wrists, and seems to wear only black socks on her feet.

Gajeel stopped playing with Lucy and glared at them. "Is that so, then I'll simply tell Jose it was your idea." He said in a threatening way and the two made no further protest, and he smirked before turning back to Lucy. "Don't tell me you're going to give up me like a pathetic Fairy. I don't know why Jose wants you and I really don't give a damn either. Hey, you still alive, because if so then you aren't paying attention to me." He said angrily before throwing Lucy to the wall along with a set of Iron Dragon's Kunai. They didn't pierce through her body but pinned her shirt up.

"You... have no idea... what you've done." Lucy began to say defiantly despite her injuries and the blood trickling down her head. "You can torture me, you can beat me and you can kill me. But nothing will save you from the wrath of Fairy Tail. I even heard from Jonah that Rex gave you a really good thumping at Phantom Lord's Guild Hall. I'm willing to bet that had it carried on you would've been defeated." She continued, never wavering in his presence.

"Did she just call Gajeel weak?" Boze said and began to worry. Gajeel could be really violent and might be tempted to kill her.

"Those are brave words coming from a pathetic Fairy tied up here. You think you're so damn smart that you can get away with that while I'm around? And just for the record I underestimated that Take Over joker the last time." Gajeel said as he held Lucy up by her shirt. "You know what? I'm gonna beat the brains out of you for that comment and I couldn't care less what Jose does to me." Gajeel shouted as he threw Lucy across the room and prepared one of his Iron Dragon Slayer spells.

However, that never went through and the floor in the space between the two erupted in flames and Gajeel jumped backwards as Natsu, Happy and Gallade burst through the floor behind the fire, with a fierce determination. "Gajeel!" Natsu shouted and Gallade said nothing though his fierce look on his face then turned to Lucy and began to help her.

"Natsu... Gallade... You came for me." Lucy said, feeling herself tear up again.

Gallade shook his head. "Lucy-san you really need to stop thinking that we would ever abandon you. No way in Arceus would we let that happen." He said as he removed the kunai knives that were pinning her up and Happy carried her to one side.

"Heh, Salamander. I was wondering if that was you." Gajeel sneered as Natsu glared at him and growled. The pink haired Dragon Slayer would've gone forwards if Gallade hadn't held one of his short arms across his chest.

"You're forgetting something Natsu-san, you're not the only one who has an issue with Gajeel." Gallade said calmly though deep down he was seething with fury. "This bastard took out Greninja-kun and I want to avenge him." Gallade declared and Gajeel.

"Yeah right. My beef is with Salamander, not some thin looking thing." Gajeel said and Bose and Sue realised what he meant by that.

"I'll show you why you shouldn't take me so lightly!" Gallade shouted and extended his arms to their full length. Everyone was surprised by this sudden change, and they noted how much they looked like a pair of swords.

"Gallade can extend his arms?" Happy asked, wondering what would happen.

"Yeah I can, now shut up and let me at him!" Gallade said and used Psycho Cut. His arms were surrounded by purple energy and Gallade threw them both at Gajeel.

"**Form Mirror!**" Sue said, interrupting his assault on Gajeel. Four mirrors appeared and one Psycho Cut went into each mirror and from the other two came them. Gallade realised that his attacked was more or less reflected right back at him and used another Psycho Cut to cancel them out with ease. Sue and Boze looked on in surprise, but undeterred as they believed that it was just luck.

"Gajeel doesn't care for weaklings like you so you can get lost! **Howling!**" Boze followed up the attack by casting a spell that unleashed a loud screeching sound wave and Gallade covered his ears to deafen the sound.

"I'd advise against calling me weak. Don't ever underestimate me!" Gallade said and his arms glowed green and there was a jagged edge among both of them. Gallade ran forwards and slashed from above. Boze and Sue bothe dodged it and Gallade decided to go for Boze, because his Sound Magic would be the trickiest.

"**Mirror Floor!**" Sue chanted and Boze jumped backwards. Gallade carried on only to fall through the floor onto the floor behind where he had fallen. "So that's why they say you wiped the floor with them!" She joked darkly and began laughing along with Boze and Gajeel managed to crack up a smile.

"Haha, very funny. That almost killed me." Gallade said as he got up again. The two of them were shocked as they saw the determination on his face. It was burning so bright.

"What are you standing around goofing for?" Natsu shouted.

"I know what I'm doing Natsu, you shouldn't lecture me!" Gallade retorted, glancing at him for a second, and that was all the time Boze needed to cast another spell.

"**Disturbed!**" Boze chanted and a Seal appeared underneath Gallade. He was caught in a vortex of musical notes that emitted a damaging sound wave, stronger than the last one, but it was designed to stop Gallade from moving.

"Hope you like your own reflection, because that is what you're only going to see! **Kaleidoscope!**" Sue chanted and a number of mirrors connected to each other that encased Gallade. There was a light coming from one of them and Gallade had to shield his eyes from the light but it nearly blinded him. "That's the last of him." She announced and Boze walked towards it with a smile for his partner.

"Cute, keep me a few mirrors. Too bad it won't keep me in forever!" Gallade tutted and he closed his eyes. The light that reflected off of it gave him a hint at how far away it was from him. Then he used Psycho Cut and began spinning on the spot, reaching out as far as possible and it began to slice away at the mirrors, creating a grating sound that everyone heard and the two Phantom Mages currently closest stepped back as the top half eventually slid off and fell onto the floor, shattering it.

"No way! No one's got out of my Kaleidoscope before!" Sue said, shocked.

"Yeah, back right in there!" Happy cheered, his hands clenched into fists and he began punching the air.

"Can he defeat them though? If he takes too long then Gajeel will be much harder for him." Lucy pointed out, still feeling uncertain about the result of the fight.

"You're both annoying, I wanna end this quickly!" Gallade shouted and ran up to Boze before quicking slashing across the chest with a Leaf Blade that tore across his shirt and he began stumbling back. He then kneed him in the stomach before turning quickly to Sue and changed his current target to her. This time he used Swords Dance to boost his attack so that it would make his job easier.

"That won't work, **Form Mirror!**" Sue chanted as Gallade threw a Psycho Cut at her and the two mirrors formed to send the attack back, but Gallade smirked. He knew it was going to strike his head and jumped forwards into a roll, avoiding. "Did he predict my attack?" Sue asked briefly then yelped as she saw Gallade slice her mirrors in two before attempting to strike her from above. However she jumped to the side just in time as it crashed down on the floor , sending cracks.

"**Dissonance!**" Boze shouted and a large Purple Seal appeared underneath Gallade then sent three loud sound shockwaves. "Sue, let him beat himself!" He shouted and Sue nodded in understanding.

"**Reflection!**" Sue chanted and a large circle mirror faced Gallade. He didn't move, wondering what was going to happen and he observed his reflection in this magical mirror and turned his head, then jumped when he realised that his reflection was not moving. Gallade began wondering if the reflection really was reflection until he felt a magical pressure and saw that his reflection was coming to life.

"Is that a copy of Gallade? But how we will know which is which?" Happy asked, looking between the two. Then the copy of Gallade solidified and became greyer as well as having the Phantom Lord Guild Mark on his gladiator helmet. "I guess that's how we'll know which one is the faker."

"Faker, hah. Perfect word to describe him." Gallade smirked and Faker sneered back, with the look on his face being like that of Gajeel. Then the pair of Gallade ran at each other and began to get engaged in a sword fight. Faker started off by slashing in a X pattern with Leaf Blade and Gallade countered with the same move by blocking it in an X pattern. The two of them struggled in a clash and neither one could overpower the other.

Gallade took a step back when noticed that he was too close for comfort and let go, then tripped Faker. "Hm, if you were an actual Gallade than I might commend you, but you're not so that's just pathetic." Gallade assessed as he got into a fighting stance.

Faker sneered as he stood. "Gi hi hi, yeah yeah keep saying that. But what separates you from me is that I don't have anything holding me back from attacking you and doing whatever the hell I want. And that doesn't me I'm above killing a pathetic Swordsman like you!" He retorted before rushing forwards and throwing a Psycho Cut and two. Gallade jumped to avoid the first one but took the second one and rolled on the ground and got up quickly again.

"That's not what being a Gallade is all about!" Gallade retorted and attacked with Psycho Cut. He began swinging a number of horizontal slashes that Faker blocked and struck back with a punch to the shoulder, throwing him off balance. The Faker used Leaf Blade and struck Gallade on the head and the body, then picked him up and sending him into the air before jumping up and slamming him back down with a punch.

"You were saying something, weakling?" Faker taunted before using Close Combat and pounding Gallade with a series of quick thrusts and jabs. He let Gallade fall down and began laughing. "Hahahaha! Look at you, you can barely stand! Why don't you just give up and concede? It's no use fighting me! I am the best!" Faker declared and that angered the Fairy Tail Mages present.

"Heh, you have no idea how dumb you really are." Gallade chuckled as he got up and began to stretch his legs and arms as if it was nothing. "Since that Phantom creep created a copy of me it was unaware of the drawbacks of the attack that you last used against me. Good, I like ignorance." Gallade grinned as everyone saw a blue aura surround Faker.

"What do you mean I'm ignorant? You're the one with no hope, don't give me that crap!" Faker snarled as he ran forwards with Leaf Blade. Gallade saw that he would fake a right and jumped forwards, attack Faker with Psycho Cut, skilfully thrown and stopping him. "What was that? How could I have felt it?" He asked with shock.

"Heh, look who's overconfident now. Close Combat lowers Defense and Special Defense by one stage after use. That is why I usually finish off the opponent with Close Combat. Usually." Gallade said with a smirk and Faker took an unconscious step backwards.

"What is that thing doing out there?" Sue asked, referring to Gallade being confident.

"Does he know about your Reflection?" Boze asked with slight fear in his eyes.

"Reflection. That's what you are, nothing more, nothing less." Gallade said with a touch of resentment for what he was about to do next. Gallade didn't hesitate to jump forwards and used Leaf Blade and Psycho Cut at the same time, driving Faker back and waited until his body was clear to strike then his fist charged with an Ice Punch and threw a shattering punch at Faker. Literally, because Faker shattered into mirror pieces. "That is what you are, and I pity you for that." Gallade said with some resentment in his voice.

Then he faced Boze and Sue and the look on his face scared them. "As for you..." He began before rushing them and then delivering a short beat down with a combination of Leaf Blade and Psycho Cut, starting with Boze and slicing his glasses in two and then punching him hard in the gut. In addition he was frozen by Ice Punch until the head.

"This is stupid." Boze said in a deadpan tone.

Sue tried running away but Gallade caught up with her. "Hah, like I'd forget about you Mirror Girl." He said with a smile and he tore her hat up into several pieces as a warning and she quickly surrendered to avoid coming under any further harm. Gallade relaxed as he went over to Lucy and Happy. "I'm done." He said quietly.

Everyone saw Gallade's performance and were amazed at how easily he made it sound. Gajeel wasn't saying a word, but he wasn't smiling. He stood there watching the strange humanoid creature. "Heh that was some performance against two of the stronger members of our Guild but against me you wouldn't stand a chance. But I'd much rather have Salamander than a runt like you." He smirked, trying to hide any doubts that he would have.

Natsu faced Gajeel, his fire roaring around him and Gajeel looked right back at him with glee. "I'm gonna show you why you should never mess with Fairy Tail by kicking your ass!" Natsu shouted.

Elsewhere in the Super Giant Mage Phantom Mark II, Rex made his way down another passage or two towards what he hoped would be the main hallway in the robot. For now his primary objective would be to find the remaining member of the Element Four and defeat him. If Rex also ran into Jose then he would be giving him a good thump up the backside, but the prospect of having to face one of the Ten Wizard Saints worried him a little mainly because he didn't know if he had enough strength to do so. "If my battle with Gajeel carried on I would have beaten him for sure in that form. What's my limit?" Rex asked himself and didn't bother answering it.

"Who's there?" Rex demanded as he felt an unknown presence.

A man appeared before him. He wore a blindfold over his eyes and appeared massive thanks to his man layers of clothing. There was a hat on top and no visible hair. Another notable feature was that he wore a necklace with a skull on the end that also had a skull to cover the eyes. "How tragic to see such a unique Mage come up against the Great Aria of the Element Four!" Aria cried out loud.

"You're the last Element Four creep? Good because it's payback time, and time I finish off the Abyss Break." Rex stated boldly as he put on the Fist Plate. "Blink and you'll miss me!"

* * *

**And that's where we have to end it there folks. Like the part with Gallade? To be honest I kinda liked it more than writing Gray's fight with Juvia. I don't hate it, I just found it frustrating to write.**

**Next time on Guardian Fairy - Black Steel, Black Saint**

**As Rex faces off against Aria, the most dangerous member of the Element Four, Natsu fights Gajeel who is also a Dragon Slayer. But with Jose and Erza joining the fight, what will happen now?**


	12. Black Steel, Black Saint

**Before anyone attacks me, I just want to say how sorry I am to keep you waiting. I just had to do exams and drop all my Fanfiction writing. So here you are, the eventual chapter 12 of Guardian Fairy that I promised to write. And prepare for an awesome battle chapter! 7.8/10 Too much Dragon Slayer**

**Previously on Guardian Fai- *interrupted by Rex breaking the announcement box***

**Rex:** Woah woah woah, what the hell is this? Author get your lazy butt away from the sofa and answer me this!

Fine Rex, what's the problem? And please don't beat around the bush. I wanna get this over with.

**Rex: **I didn't get enough writing time in the last chapter. Seriously I get the end where I meet Aria and a brief interaction with Warren's Telepathy and that's it?! It's an outrage! The rest is focused on Gray and Elfman in their respective battles against Juvia and Sol!

At least Gallade and the others get some ass kicking done.

**Rex: **I thought I was the star! You have abandoned me author. :-(

Sigh... Don't worry. This time you get more involvement. You're gonna have to get used to this with other arcs.

**Gallade: **Anyway, after Gray-san and Elfman-san defeated the two members of the Element Four the Abyss Break slowed down. The other pokemon were getting tired out from the battle with the never ending Shades until Mystogan-sama came over and wiped them all out. Then it looks as if Erza-san is going to join Senpai.

* * *

**Chapter 12 - Black Steel, Black Saint**

Everyone saw Gallade's performance and were amazed at how easily he made it sound. Gajeel wasn't saying a word, but he wasn't smiling. He stood there watching the strange humanoid creature. "Heh that was some performance against two of the stronger members of our Guild but against me you wouldn't stand a chance. But I'd much rather have Salamander than a runt like you." He smirked, trying to hide any doubts that he would have.

Natsu faced Gajeel, his fire roaring around him and Gajeel looked right back at him with glee. "I'm gonna show you why you should never mess with Fairy Tail by kicking your ass!" Natsu shouted.

Elsewhere in the Super Giant Mage Phantom Mark II, Rex made his way down another passage or two towards what he hoped would be the main hallway in the robot. For now his primary objective would be to find the remaining member of the Element Four and defeat him. If Rex also ran into Jose then he would be giving him a good thump up the backside, but the prospect of having to face one of the Ten Wizard Saints worried him a little mainly because he didn't know if he had enough strength to do so. "If my battle with Gajeel carried on I would have beaten him for sure in that form. What's my limit?" Rex asked himself and didn't bother answering it.

"Who's there?" Rex demanded as he felt an unknown presence.

A man appeared before him. He wore a blindfold over his eyes and appeared massive thanks to his man layers of clothing. There was a hat on top and no visible hair. Another notable feature was that he wore a necklace with a skull on the end that also had a skull to cover the eyes. "How tragic to see such a unique Mage come up against the Great Aria of the Element Four!" Aria cried out loud.

"You're the last Element Four creep? Good because it's payback time, and time I finish off the Abyss Break." Rex stated boldly as he put on the Fist Plate. "Blink and you'll miss me!" Rex smiled and he ran forwards to attack Aria with Mach Punch.

"Behold the beautiful tragedy that is my Airspace Magic!" Aria declared boldly and he put his palms in front of him. Rex continued forwards, expecting to see something he could dodge then unexpected hit a compressed area of air that exploded when he made contact and he was flung back with surprise on his face.

"Ow, what the heck was that?" Rex said as he got up. Then he remembered what Uxie said about attacks and realised that Aria's Airspace Magic would register as Flying type to him. What he didn't know was that Aria could freely manipulate the airspaces around him and they were practically unseen.

"That was Airspace. A sorrowful Take Over wizard like you could never hope to beat me." Aria declared boldly, thought he didn't forget that this guy pounded Gajeel hard when they fought.

"God dammit I was used to being called the Multitype Mage by everyone else and now you ruined it." Rex glared and he ran forwards, but thus time he listened carefully for the sound of air. He jumped towards the right suddenly and to his left the air exploded and sent out a small shockwave. Another airspace exploded but Rex dove forwards in time. Just before it exploded, Rex could the faint sound of air coming together and tensing up.

Aria grinned. "You might be a truly worthy opponent after all. Especially after I tragically attacked that Wizard Saint." He reminisced and tears began streaming from his eyes.

Rex stopped and looked at Aria. "That Wizard Saint... Then that means it was you! You're the one who took out Master Makarov." He accused, pointing his finger at Aria.

"Yes, and it was such a sorrowful thing to do! To see him fall like that brings tears to my eyes!" Aria sniffed and he began weeping again for a moment and then stopped. "And now, I get at shot at the Take Over wizard who nearly beat Gajeel by himself." Aria grinned again, this time at the prospect of defeating one of Fairy Tail's strongest members.

"Sorry, but you're the one going down you overdressed crybaby!" Rex retorted and dashed forwards with a Mach Punch to an unmoving Aria. When he was near however, Aria disappeared from his sight. "Huh, he teleported?" Rex asked in confusion and felt the air move behind him and Aria appeared with his hand.

"**Airspace: Zetsu!**" Aria chanted as a purple Seal appeared. Then Rex was hit with a barrage of concentrated airspaces, sending him flying across the hall and into a pillar. Aria then sent a powerful airspace explosion, with the center being the space just in front of Rex so that he would feel the full force of it.

Rex cried out in pain and he fell to the floor, quickly realising that staying in his Fight Forme was a bad idea and switched to the Iron Plate, knowing that he would take less damage. "This is sorrowful. Your Take Over Requip powers sadly are no match for my airspace. To see you fall would be the greatest tragedy!"

"Keep talking you crybaby. I have the advantage now." Rex replied with a knowing smirk and Aria lifted his head up curiously, wondering what he was talking about. Whilst Aria was patiently observing, Rex summoned his own armour and used Metal Sound. Aria heard a grating sound and was aware that something had happened and began to laugh once he realised that it didn't do any damage.

"As long as you keep laughing, I'll use **Bullet Punch!**" Rex continued and then leaped forwards, attacking Aria with a barrage of quick punches for a few seconds before jumping back to avoid a large airspace that was about to explode. Rex tried again to attack with Bullet Punch, but Aria disappeared again and this time decides to remain hidden. "Come on... where are yoooou?" Rex said.

An idea came to him. If Aria and his Magic revolved around air, then this teleporting was merely a trick with air and nothing more. So Rex had to uncover the air the only way he knew how. Rex fired several pairs of Air Slashes in different directions to get a lock on Aria. Whichever one veered off course or created a strange distortion would give away his position.

_There! _Rex thought as he saw one suddenly fling upwards and attacked with Aerial Ace, arms outstretched to act like wings. Aria was too shocked to do anything about and Rex grinned as he followed it up with one of his favourite Flying type attacks.

"**Hurricane!**" Rex shouted as the wind drew around his hand. He then made a cross spiral pattern in the air and produced a powerful tornado that curved upwards, destroying the side of a pillar. Rex followed it up by flinging it across the other side of the room, carrying Aria with it as well.

Aria tried to dissipate it with his Airspace and saw several explosions of air, but he also saw that it wasn't strong enough. "Perhaps I was wrong about you after all." He sniffed, but was grinning at the prospect of something. "**Airspace: Zetsu!**" Aria chanted and Rex was bombarded by a bunch of air bubbles again, forcing him to stop the attack but it didn't stop the next attack from coming.

"**Metal Burst!**" Rex shouted, firing a fast metal orb. Aria tried to use his Airspace to move it away, but it didn't work as it was too fast for him to counter. Aria was caught off guard as he felt the impact of the previous attack and more hit him. Rex decided to switch to something faster - the Zap Plate.

"I must admit Take Over wizard, your Forme is impressive. But there is no way you could match my raw power. Airspace is the deadliest Magic of all." Aria declared, sniffing.

"Whatever, I won't lose!" Rex disagreed and charged forwards with Wild Charge. However Aria teleported away, getting used to his increased speed. Rex knew that once this battle was over the stat changes would reset, and that was a double edged sword. His defences would increase but his attack and speed would decrease at the same time.

"Let's hope this works. **Metronome!**" He chanted and his hand glowed blue and was then surrounded by a purple orb. "Poison Sting? Really?" An offended Rex asked and then fired a number of poison thorns at Aria.

The large Phantom Mage teleported again out of his way and Rex briefly stopped firing them and did again when Aria appeared and he repelled them with his Airspace. _Damn, firing these things is a pain. _Rex thought and he stopped with the Poison Sting. Aria moved his hands up to cast a Spell and Rex saw his opportunity.

"Airspace: Z-" Aria began but was cut off by Rex.

"**Me First!**" He shouted quickly, and a Seal appeared in front of him, but was a mirror image of the one when Aria used his Spell. Aria was annoyed at being interrupted by Rex and therefore couldn't spot the pressurised air that suddenly exploded around him, except it was stronger and he crashed into a pillar.

Aria made no attempt to hide his shock at how he knew one of his spells. "Im-im-impossible!" He bursted out crying, and Rex couldn't believe the tears that were coming out of his blindfold. "How can you know Airspace Magic, and one of my Spells?" Aria shouted angrily and Rex took a step back in surprise.

"Oh crap!" He cried as Aria teleported behind him and held his hands above Rex.

"**Airspace: Metsu!**" Aria chanted triumphantly. Two Seals appeared and there was a golden flash of light and Rex felt a light breeze, nothing more. Then he remembered what happened to the Master and realised that this was a Spell designed to eradicate his 'Magic' and Rex began to laugh.

"Impossible!" Aria cried, more fear stricken than anything else now as he saw that it wasn't working. "There is no way that you could possibly resist that Magic that felled the Wizard Saint, so sorrowful?" He asked quiveringly.

"Sorrowful, yeah. But not for me - for you!" Rex shouted and an orb of pure yellow electricity with a bright center formed in each hand. "**Electro Ball!**" Rex said and threw one then the other. The first one hit Aria and a moment later the second one found its target. Because the effect of Shell Smash was still running the attack did more damage, since Rex was the faster person.

Aria got up, slower than last time and he was still not smiling. "I may have underestimated you, Guardian Fairy, but no more!" He didn't attack but instead took off his blindfold to reveal his eyes and Rex took a sharp breath. Aria had wholly Magenta iris, that was divided into four diagonally.

A Seal appeared in front of him and the air began to move towards it, and Rex also saw that Aria's eyes were beginning to shine. A tornado formed around the Seal as Aria declared with triumph. "Activate the Airspace of Death, **Zero!** This Airspace will consume all life within it!" Aria cried. The tornado grew stronger and Aria began firing a barrage of smaller airspace.

"Don't be ridiculous, you Phantom creep! Like I said I would never fall to the likes of you, so why don't you experience something that'll really shock your system!" Rex grinned at the pun and drew his hands together, knowing full well that this next attack would be the last one powered up with Shell Smash. Drawing his hand together Rex formed another orb of electricity except this time it was black inside with small whizzing red and green orbs.

"**Lock-On.**" Rex said and a red target appeared on Aria's clothes. "**Zap Cannon!**" He shouted as he threw it down the center of the tornado. "**Thunder!**" He followed up with a powerful bolt of electricity to charge it even further. The Super Zap Cannon ran through it, even though it was stronger as it got closer to Aria and shocked him.

Aria let out a cry of pain that was lost amongst the loud booming sound made from the electricity. Rex covered his ears and opened his eyes a fraction as the electricity continued to coarse through Aria's body until all its energy had been used up and Aria stood still for a moment before falling and saying in a quiet voice, "So... sad." That was the last thing Rex heard as the last of the Element Four fell in defeat.

This had multiple effects. For starters the Abyss Break stopped and the incomplete circle stopped and then faded away, which also meant that the Super Giant Mage Phantom Mark II just stopped where it was lifeless. Everyone stopped and then cheered as their brains absorbed the facts and made them realise what had happened. Mystogan wasn't cheering like the others but he was relieved, until he felt something wrong. He looked up, startled.

"What's that feeling?" He asked in a calm voice. The cheering died down when the Fairy Tail members all felt, along with the pokemon this time, an unholy presence coming from the Giant.

Braviary found the strength to fly up and circle round the Guild Hall for a while before landing somewhat clumsily. "Oops, you're never going to believe this s-squawk, but there is something coming this way." He pointed out with a wing and they were all beginning to see a small shadowy dot that was slowly getting larger and larger until it looked as large as the iris of a person, which didn't bode well. The giant shadow ball then opened two red eyes and four shadowy arms appeared as well.

"What is that thing?" A tired Garchomp asked.

"A giant Phantom?" Macao asked fearfully, not liking the vibe that thing gave off.

"Whatever it is we have to stop it from getting here. It probably wants to destroy the Guild Hall." Mystogan replied with a touch of concern in his voice.

Gardevoir jolted once she heard that. Her work, and the stress that she went under in order to get the Guild repaired would be for nothing. The thought of it made her angry, but currently she was in no state to do anything. Her only choice was to do that, a feat that could only be accomplished when it actually got here and she was also not sure if Rex could hear her or how to get a message to him. She never gave thought of the irony that she could sense abnormal emotions, yet she herself was going through that sort of state.

"Impossible! My Element Four are defeated?" Jose yelled from somewhere within the Guild Hall. "Now I will take part, starting by killing that Take Over user." He vowed and was surrounded by a deadly aura.

Elsewhere, far away from Magnolia Town, Porlyuscina heard something and turned around to see Makarov awake.

"I have to go with my children. They need me." He muttered calmly.

"Don't be such a fool Makarov." Porlyuscina disagreed, shaking her head. But she knew that she had no chance of stopping Makarov for more reasons than one. She watched as Makarov got up and put on his fur lined cloak, and realised that his power had also returned.

"He's always been this stubborn, typical Makarov." She sighed before getting angry. "Why do I care about him, I hate humans!" Porlyuscina shouted, as she swung her broom around, pretending to hit an invisible Makarov.

* * *

**With Natsu and co.**

The Dragon Slayers were staring each other down and looked away when they heard Aria being shock by the combination of Shell Smash, Zap Cannon and Thunder. Electricity split out in all different directions and several sparks were flying around the room.

"What's up with that electricity?" Lucy asked, unaware of what happened to her.

"I don't know, it doesn't feel magical at all." Happy frowned, still not understanding that Rex had beaten Aria.

"Uh, Lucy-san, your hair." Gallade said, pointing to above her.

Lucy moved her hand and stopped when she saw that the static electricity had stood up her hair and she shrieked in shock and tried making it normal again. Happy for some reason wasn't affected and Gallade obviously had no hair so he was unaffected. After a few frantic attempts it settled, but only because the electricity died down.

Natsu however knew exactly what that meant. "I dunno who was fighting him, but Rex has beaten him in a shocking turn of events." He stated confidently and everyone turned to face him.

Gajeel and Gallade were the first to realise what that meant. "Impossible! Aria has been defeated?!" "Yes! Score one for Senpai, the Iron Plate must have really helped him."

A flame in appeared in Natsu's hand. "Now it's my turn. I get to pay back what you did to Fairy Tail!" Natsu roared and a flame orange seal appeared as he drew his hand.

Gajeel growled in annoyance. "That ain't gonna happen Salamander, because Fairy Tail is going down." He shouted back and a lint green Seal appeared as he drew his hands together.

"Two types of destructive Slaying Magic are about to clash, we gotta go to somewhere safe!" Lucy stated and they hurried back to a safer distance as the battle between the two Dragon Slayers started.

"**Fire Dragon's...**" "**Iron Dragon's...**" The pairs cheeks expanded.

"**...ROOOOAAAR!**" They shouted in unison and two tornadoes, one composed of fire, the other composed of many micro pieces of metal collided with each other, sending a powerful shockwave across the room. The three of them along with several members from Phantom Lord were sent flying from the impact. Gallade slammed into the wall, with Happy on top and Lucy squashing him in the middle.

"Mmmphfphummmuh." Happy said, but there was no chance of it being translated.

Neither Dragon Slayer could gain the upper hand and as soon as both Roars died down and Natsu charged forwards with Fire Dragon Iron Fist. Gajeel morphed his left arm into an Iron Dragon's Sword which began buzzing like a chainsaw. "Better watch out otherwise we have Salamander a là mode." Gajeel grinned as the two attacks clashed.

Gajeel swung across Natsu's body, and Natsu leaned backwards before charged forwards and attacking him with a Fire Dragon's Iron Fist that was fuelled by his anger, meaning that it was stronger than usual. Natsu followed the first one with another and several more as he pushed Gajeel back. "**Fire Dragon's Talon!**" He shouted and launched Gajeel into the air with a flaming foot.

"I never seen Natsu-san this angry before." Gallade said, but the tone was subdued.

Gajeel got back up. "That's what I want to see, I don't wanna be disappointed when I'm done with you." He smirked as he ran forwards with his Sword.

"You better hope that I went easy on you when I'm finished with you!" Natsu shouted back and his arms were surrounded by fire and launched a Fire Dragon Wing Attack at Gajeel. The Phantom Lord Mage stopped and used his Sword to cut through it and make it easy to get him and he swung at Natsu upwards, carrying him up. He let out a sharp cry of pain.

Gajeel lifted him up using the blunt side of his Iron Dragon Sword and it cut through his shirt. "Don't cry now Salamander, 'cause the party is just starting. **Iron Dragon's Club!**" Gajeel shouted in glee as his arm morphed into a club and shot up at Natsu, slamming him in the face and lifting him further. "Going up." Gajeel joked and the Phantom Lord members finally recovered, the ice surrounding Boze had shattered.

"This is crazy, those two don't look like they need to stop." Sue commented, looking around at the destruction those two had already caused despite it only being the start of the battle.

"No kidding, Gajeel better not lose otherwise this could be bad." Boze added, not wanting to interfere.

Natsu was still angry and managed to push himself away from the club, and Gajeel's response was to bring it down hard on him but Natsu caught it in time and tried to push back by shooting fire from his foot. It didn't slow it down enough, but it managed to avoid Natsu being squashed by it and there now was a struggle to overcome the others strength.

"Come on Salamander, let me squash you like a bug. You Fairies ain't so tough." Gajeel taunted, smirking as he saw the muscles on his arms twitch.

Natsu roared and was surrounded completely by flames. "There's no way that I or any other member of Fairy Tail would ever give up to scum like you!" He shouted back and to Gajeel's surprise smashed it back up and he quickly pulled it back. "**Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!**" Natsu shouted and shot forwards, still engulfed in flames.

"**Iron Dragon's Hammer!**" Gajeel chanted and his arm morphed into a large circular hammer. Then he waited for Natsu to come close and he swung, hitting Natsu on the head with blunt force which sent out another strong shockwave.

"I've never seen Natsu so fired up like this." Happy commented, not taking his eyes off for a second.

"Yeah, but can he beat Gajeel? He's their S-Class Dragon Slayer." Lucy said. Deep down she still was amazed at how they would defend her without a second thought and now knew that she would deliver it straight to the one person responsible for all this.

"Don't talk like that Lucy-san. Natsu-san will win." Gallade replied, shocked at the thought.

The collisions of the attacks had negated each other next and Gajeel quickly changed the Hammer for a Sword and swiped multiple times at Natsu, but his enhanced senses allowed him to tell where it was striking from. Natsu jumped backwards, then left and quickly rolled backwards as Gajeel tried to trip him up. Gajeel faked a left and attacked from the right, but Natsu bounced it back with a Fire Dragon Iron Fist.

"Gi hee hee. Guess this means I gotta step it up." Gajeel said as he ran forwards. "**Iron Dragon's Hard Fist!**" He chanted and was suddenly clad in his Iron Dragon Scales and threw a strong fast punch followed by a very hard kick that sent Natsu flying backwards. "As soon as I have finished with you, your guild comrades are next." Gajeel declared.

"Don't even think about hurting them!" Natsu shouted as he charged forwards, seemingly unhurt by that attack with his Fire Dragon Iron Fist except that this time Gajeel caught it with one hand and the other one as well, pushing Natsu back with Sheer Force. The salmon haired Mage was undeterred though, and he used his Fire Dragon Talon to attack and Gajeel made no attempt to block it as it slammed into his neck.

"Those Scales are amplifying his defence and attack Natsu, you gotta be careful!" Happy said, clearly looking on with surprise at seeing how tough they were, especially giving how Rex had easily damaged Gajeel's Scales during their fight at the Phantom Lord Guild Hall.

Natsu was about to retort but was interrupted as Gajeel began pounding him with his enhanced Iron Scales. He delivered several powerful blows to Natsu's body and then punched him hard in the face and Natsu cried out in pain. "Don't tell me that's it Salamander, I hate being disappointed." Gajeel smirked and drew his hands together. "**Iron Dragon's Roar!**" Gajeel shouted as he unleashed another silver tornado that sent Natsu up and Gajeel didn't want to miss this opportunity.

"**Iron Dragon's Hard Fist!**" Gajeel shouted triumphantly and smacked Natsu down really hard on the head, sending him crashing into the floor. Natsu didn't move for a while and it was obvious that the fight was beginning to take its toll on him as he was almost shirtless as this point and many of the people spectating this fight looked on in shock at Gajeel's sadism.

"Come on Natsu..." Happy began, and was struggling to find the right words.

Natsu was now practically shirtless as he stood up and there were cuts and bruises all over his body. The expression on his face was still there from earlier and he drew his hands together. "**Fire Dragon's Roar!**" Natsu chanted and an orange seal appeared, followed by a stream of fire, but Gajeel didn't move as it surrounded him and he looked unharmed when it faded away.

"Hah, what was that supposed to be?" Gajeel sneered. "These are a set of Dragon Scales, you can't penetrate it."

Natsu smiled back. "Oh yeah? You might wanna rethink that buddy." Natsu retorted and then a small crack appeared above his left eye, but the noise it made was heard by everyone in the room. "My fire ain't just normal fire, this is the flames of a dragon that destroy everything in its path." He declared.

"Oh really? Well my Dragon Roar will slice you into a thousand pieces before you defeat me!" Gajeel shouted, annoyed that for the second time someone managed to crack his armour.

"Well get serious!" Natsu shouted. "Because if you don't go all out when I fight you it won't end well for you!" He was surrounded by fire in spite of the magic used up and his injuries."

"Then get ready, because this sky ain't big enough for the both of us!" Gajeel roared and he took off his shirt as both he and Natsu ran towards each other with renewed vigour. They each threw a punch, hitting the other and creating another explosion. The pair of them then began to get involved in a mid air fist fight with each other with such speed that Gallade was the only one to keep up with the action. The rest of them saw the shockwaves generated by the constant punching, kicking, elbowing and who (besides Gallade) knows what else.

Natsu quickly caught Gajeel's fist and threw his own punch that Gajeel dodged and he kicked Natsu in retaliation. The pink haired Dragon Slayer was thrown back briefly before launching himself forwards and elbowing Gajeel in the stomach who then pounded on Natsu's back and threw him up. Natsu was thrown back and Lucy, Happy and the Phantom Lord onlookers saw a slow motion scene of Gajeel and Natsu moving away from each other before they proceeded to go back to their fast physical fight.

Natsu lunged forwards and Gajeel moved around him and pounded him in the back, and Natsu growled. They each then charged and headbutted each other with such force that Lucy and Happy both clung on to Gallade who shielded his eyes from the dust that was thrown up. Everyone now saw that Natsu and Gajeel stood apart from each other and were both panting.

"This is just amazing! Gajeel's panting." Sue commented with awe.

"Don't let him hear you say that, Salamander is also panting." Boze glared at his comrade.

Natsu and Gajeel both stared at each other, ignoring the spectators. Then Gajeel picked up a fist of metal and began eating it much to Natsu's annoyance. "Hey! You can't just eat in the middle of a fight! No fair!" He complained.

"And you're gonna do something about it?" Gajeel replied casually through a mouthful of metal. He gulped and then stood up with a grin on his face. "Now I've got a fire in my belly." He said factually.

"Hey that's my line!" Natsu retorted.

"Not anymore. **Iron Dragon Lance: Demon Logs!**" Gajeel chanted as he extended a scaly arm and a lint Seal appeared. Then a barrage of Iron spears shot forwards and began pounding Natsu, pinning him near a wall to Gajeel's delight and he began laughing maniacally at the sight. Natsu tried to get out of the way but couldn't do much if at all anything and let out a cry of pain.

"I don't get it. How can Natsu be struggling like that? For a moment Gajeel was the one struggling." Lucy said in despair.

"Gajeel replenished his Magic energy by eating the iron. So if Natsu-san has to beat him then all he needs is some fire, and not just his own." Gallade said, analysing the situation with worry

Lucy reached for her keys before she realised that they weren't there. "I don't recall knowing a Celestial Spirit that can produce fire. And besides that creepy rain woman took away my keys when I got myself kidnapped. The only key I have on me is the key for Sagittarius." She said and began tearing up. "I can't believe I feel so useless, at a time like this. I have to summon him though."

"Very well. I'll try and buy Natsu-san some time." Gallade nodded and waited for the right opportunity.

She got out a golden key and held it up. "**Open: Gate of the Golden Archer - Sagittarius!**" Lucy chanted as a bell chiming could be heard.

Sagittarius is a tall, black-haired and lanky man sporting a of tthe costume. Horse of aside, Sagittarius's attire consists of a green shirt with yellow trims followed by a red and yellow pair of striped pants and purple frills. His weapon of choice, a large bow - is fastened to his back by a red strap along with an equally large quiver. "Well how do ya do milady?" Sagittarius asked.

Gallade looked back in surprise. "I was expecting something along the lines of the lower of a horse and the top half and arms of a man, not a person playing dress up." He admitted and Sagittarius looked injured.

"Please do not make a mockery of my look Sir Knight." Sagittarius responded, mildly offended and Gallade nodded.

"Sagittarius, we can work out a contract later. Right now we need your help. Can you produce fire?" Lucy asked.

"Unfortunately no. I cannot simply 'make fire'." Sagittarius said, shaking his head firmly.

* * *

**The Guild Hall**

Back at the Guild Hall, everyone bar the Pokemon were firing Spells with the precious little energy that they had managed to gather during the break and weren't doing much, even Mystogan was struggling with the giant Phantom slowly getting closer towards the Guild.

"**Three Layered Circle Magic - Mirror Water!**" Mystogan chanted and set three staves on the ground, crossing each other in the middle. Three Seals appeared diagonally up at the giant Phantom and a blast of water appeared that deflected an arm that shot out and tried to attack the Guild Hall.

"..." Gardevoir just didn't say anything as she looked up towards the giant Jellyfish like shade that began pounding the Guild Hall with some of its arms and large cracks began appearing throughout the Guild Hall.

"No!" Cana shrieked and she turned her fury towards the Jellyfish and lunged forwards in an attempt to attack it but Macao firmly held her and she struggled in vain. "Let me go! I can't just stand by and watch the Guild Hall get destroyed!"

"I know how you feel Cana but you can't defeat it in the state you are in. Don't let you feelings overrule your thinking. To try and do so would be suicide." Macao shouted back and after a few more attempts, Cana gave up and slumped in his arms. He sympathised with her and carefully let go. Cana dropped to the floor in tears.

The Guild members watched in disbelief as the Guild began to fall apart and with just a few more punches it collapsed completely, to Gardevoirs horror. All that work... For what? _Nothing, can describe my rage at this point and the only thing that would satisfy me it to voice my opinions._ Gardevoir thought grimly and she stood up and wordlessly began making her way towards the top of the rubble as the Jellyfish began slowly moving away from the now levelled Guild Hall.

"What's she doing?" Garchomp asked and a few people turned towards her.

"Does she plan on taking that thing on her own?" Bisca asked and went forwards to stop her but a wing prevented her from moving any closer.

"Geez, all of you are complete idiots, especially the four of you. Don't you realise what she plans to do?" The calm quiet voice of Greninja startled them all as he began to slowly male his way towards the group. They knew that he was addressing the other pokemon but didn't understand.

"What do you mean by that?" Cana asked, looking up mostly out of curiosity but partially for hope.

"Don't be directly in her way is all I'm saying." Was all that Greninja said cryptically and stumbled before finding his footing again. Although he could still walk but was unable to fight due to the injuries sustained from his fight with Gajeel and the other Pokemon quickly caught on. Garchomp and Aggron were the main ones to help that and the members of Fairy Tail complied, curious as to what was going to happen to her.

Gardevoir then brought out what looked like a silver orb with a light green and pinkish colour toothpaste marble in the center. She then closed her eyes and held it in both hands and used her telepathy to send Rex a message._ 'Please Rex help us, let me Mega Evolve!' _She pleaded.

After a few seconds she got a reply._ 'Okay.'_ Rex responded and opened his eyes. "Right, now for the first Mega Evolution in Fiore." He said to himself, drawing out his mega bracelet. It was a mostly white bracelet, but where the Keystone was embedded into a red ring and the yellow curves around it made it look like an eye. "Gardevoir, transcend your normal power and Mega Evolve!" He cried out and the Keystone flashed in response, glowing all the colours of the rainbow as it shot out a white light that sailed through the walls and sped towards the Mega Stone.

When it hit the held out it Mega Stone it along with Gardevoir was surrounded by a bright white light and pink sparks ran along until they dispersed to reveal a different looking Gardevoir. Apart from her hair she was now completely white and her gown was wider and longer, resembling a bridal gown and her forearms were thicker along with a pointed extension above the elbow. Her facial spikes grew longer and her green hair was shorter and more tightly curled. Another notable change was her singular horn becoming two on her chest.

"What's that?" Mystogan asked, surprised.

"Mega Evolution. A state that can only be achieved by some pokemon that grants them even more power. Of course it's only temporary in battle until it has finished or the user is knocked out." Greninja. "You might cover your ears with what happens next, but don't worry. She will only attack that giant thing." He added, though Garchomp covered her ears up.

"So why's she doing it then?" Cana asked Greninja.

"Because it will be more painful for her - and me." Greninja added as he too covered his ears.

Gardevoir formed a Shadow Ball and everyone could feel that it was much stronger than usual and watched as it hit the side of the Jellyfish and exploded, sending a ripple that stopped it and made it move back, it's red eyes glaring at the transformed Gardevoir.

"Yes I did it. And you know why? Because you undid my work, and I despise anyone who does that. So I'll show you the pain of a Pixilated Mega Gardevoir." She drew in her breath and both Greninja and Gardevoir braced themselves. "**Hyper Voice!**" She shouted in a clear loud tone and sent large continuous soundwave blasts at the Jellyfish Shade, tinted pink by Pixilate, accompanied by a gust of wind.

For whatever reason, to the Fairy Tail Mages, the Jellyfish Shade clearly didn't like it and began thrashing about in the air, each eye rapidly alternating between large and small, out of time with each other. When one was small the other was large and vice versa. What they could see was that the individual were dissipating away from it, clearly unable to handle the power of Mega Gardevoir after a while it looked half complete and Greninja cautiously unblocked his ears.

"What is that noise?" Alzack asked. "And why did those two cover their ears?"

"Because they are both weak to Fairy moves. I resist them on the other hand and Braviary does neither. Gallade is also weak to Fairy moves as well. A Mega Gardevoir has the ability Pixilate, which changes all Normal moves to Fairy type moves. Combined with exceptionally high Special Attack that thing is deadly." Aggron added and Alzack looked at him in surprise. Even though he hadn't the faintest idea of how the types worked he understood what the Iron Armour Pokemon was saying.

"Who else can do whatever that is?" He asked in shock.

"Greninja and Braviary are the only ones who can't." Aggron replied simply and Alzack took a step away from him in fear.

Nevertheless they carried on watching the Shades disappear until they were all gone and Mega Gardevoir let out a sigh of relief before glowing blue and returning to her normal Forme. She stumbled forwards and fell down, but quickly got up as Greninja rushed over to her. "Better not let Gallade see that." He said with a grin.

* * *

**With Natsu**

While this was going on Gajeel punched Natsu through a wall and then looked out across at the Guild Hall. "Hey look Salamander, we're decorating the stupid Guild Hall of yours. Why don't we see how the destruction is going?" He taunted him before he began laughing.

Natsu managed to lift his head and saw the Guild Hall being destroyed. He remembered the day he joined Fairy Tail, and that he didn't understand why it was given that name. When he asked Makarov, the Guildmaster replied, _"Do fairies really have tails? Do they even exist? No one can say that for certain. Like them, this place is an eternal mystery... A never-ending adventure!" _Inside he was overwhelmed at first but then quickly forgot about that when he got into his first fight with Gray and subsequently they both got their first beating up by Erza.

In spite of that Natsu still wanted to join, though at first he didn't understand what a job was asking for to Mirajane's amusement and Erza (rather forcibly) taught him a lot of the vocabulary that was important. Natsu then remembered Lisanna and all the memories she shared with her before her death and then when Lucy and Rex joined. He along with the rest of the Guild initially found Rex's story unbelievable, but understood in time that it was true.

"No, I won't... lose." Natsu growled as he got up and faced Gajeel who was surprised for a second until he saw the injuries that Natsu had sustained. "I can't..." He stumbled forwards.

"Hah you can't even talk properly Salamander, so let me finish the job!" Gajeel crowed triumphantly as he dashed forwards to deliver the final blow, but was intercepted by a green blur. Gallade rushed in when he wasn't looking and punched Gajeel with all his strength in the face, which forced him back a few steps.

"Natsu-san, you're in no position to fight. I can handle Gajeel, but you need to eat some fire and quickly." Gallade said in a chilling tone that invited no argument.

"I won't let a stupid Fairy like you get in the way of my target. **Iron Dragon Club!**" Gajeel chanted as a metal rod shot at Gallade who only used Psycho Cut to deflect it upwards, striking at the right moment.

"I would advise you not to underestimate me at all. You saw what I did to your comrades Gajeel." Gallade spat the last word out. "So don't kid yourself."

Gajeel didn't move, save for his arm but cursed inwardly knowing that his new opponent was right. "Grr, I was hoping to have fun but know I'm well and truly pissed off." He commented. "Alright, no more screwing around from me, I'm gonna make you wish you Fairy scum had let me finish off Salamander." Gajeel added, transforming his arm into an Iron Dragon Sword.

Gallade smiled, as swords were his specialty and they reminded him of his now fully extended arms and started with a Swords Dance and they rushed towards each other. Gallade blocked a strike from the left and then battered away a strike from the right and anticipated a blow from above. He crossed his arms in an X pattern and blocked the next attack with help from Leaf Blade. Gallade then jumped left and forwards before striking Gajeel with a Psycho Cut.

Phantom Lord's Iron Dragon Slayer quickly realised that something was amiss. "What the hell is going on?" He said aloud as he morphed his arm back and drew his ironclad hands together. "**Iron Dragon's Roar!**" Gajeel chanted as silver tornado appeared.

"**Psycho Cut!**" Gallade responded and produced a powerful whirlwind from his two arms that met the Roar and the two clashed with each other, sending out powerful shockwaves from the ferocity of the attacks. "What's the matter, surprised at how I've managed to predict and counter your every move successfully?" Gallade taunted and Gajeel growled. "Simple really. After watching you for a while I can now predict every attack-"

"Shut up!" Gajeel shouted as he used his Iron Dragon Lance spell, but Gallade avoided it. Gajeel quickly saw that what his opponent had claimed was true, as he decided to abandon his spell and simply use his scales to beat the crap out of him. Gajeel ran forward and threw a punch but Gallade threw one at the same time and they both sent out another shockwave.

"Forgive me milady, but I didn't understand quite what you meant by 'produce fire'. I now understand though that it isn't the fact that I had to materialise the fire directly and am now fully confident that I can do as you wish." Sagittarius interrupted the pair of them and everyone froze upon hearing him.

"Really? Great, do it!" Lucy said quickly.

"Righty-ho, here I go!" Sagittarius whinnied as he took several arrows from his quiver and aimed carefully. Then he was surrounded by a blazing blue aura that carried on to the arrows and followed it down the fired path. They whizzed past the duelling pair with such speed until they hit some machinery, causing it to explode in a great ball of fire, which Natsu then began eating.

"Remind me to thank you horseman!" Natsu said whilst he was eating the fire. Sagittarius struck a your welcome pose that only Natsu and Lucy paid attention to.

Gajeel quickly realised that he had been played for a fool this whole time. "You were stalling for time, using that lousy prediction crap to throw me off balance!" He accused Gallade.

"What was your first clue?" Gallade retorted with a smirk on his face.

That was crossing the line as far as Gajeel was concerned. He let out an angry snarl and rushed forwards but Natsu got their first, hitting him with a powerful Fire Dragon Iron Fist. "Now you're gonna pay for what you did to us!" Natsu shouted and was angrier if possible than before.

It was then that Gajeel finally paid attention to Sagittarius and realised that he had caused the explosion. "That weird horseman was responsible for restoring Salamander's energy." Gajeel sneered with contempt.

"Indeed." Sagittarius replied, saluting. "With the correct trajectory and speed an arrow can pierce through solid steel. Setting machinery on fire is mere child's play to a master archer like me." He explained and Lucy thanked him.

Gajeel was still sneering. "Don't get took cocky Salamander, that only put you on equal footing with me." He declared and ran forwards to attack Salamander but was interrupted by Gallade elbowing him before slashing Gajeel down side of his face with Psycho Cut, cleanly slicing through part of the scales covering Gajeel.

"But there are two of us. You should be able to keep up with us." Gallade said with a smile and then dropped it. "So now, we'll show you what it really means to be a Fairy Tail wizard!" Gallade declared and jumped forwards followed by Natsu.

"Like that'll happen, **Iron Dragon's Roar!**" Gajeel chanted, unleashing his own Dragon Roar at the pair of them. Gallade retaliated by using Psycho Cut and spinning in the spot, the two attacks negating each other again. Natsu then used Fire Dragon Sword Horn and rocketed at Gajeel, slamming into his side. The Phantom Lord Mage was thrown into a wall where he moved out only to see Gallade in front of him.

"Now I'll show you why you shouldn't underestimate me, as I unleash my strongest move, **Close Combat!**" Gallade shouted before pounding Gajeel with a number of fast punches, and that also created a number of cracks in his armour as well as having some of it fall off. Gajeel couldn't predict where they would hit due to a combination of the speed and the force of them. Gallade then kicked him into the air. "He's all yours Natsu!"

Natsu grinned. "Alright, now it's my turn to get some payback." He pounded his fists together and they were surrounded by fire. "**Crimson Lotus: Fire Dragon's Fist!**" Natsu shouted as he pounded Gajeel with a barrage of fists enhanced by Fire Dragon Slayer Magic, but unlike Gallade it also began destroying many aspects of the Phantom Lord Guild that they were currently in.

"Oh crap, we gotta get outta here!" Lucy cried out and sent Sagittarius back to the Celestial Spirit World, then Happy picked her up and began fleeing from the collapsing hall.

"This one is for Greninja! And for Levy! And for Jet, Droy, Loke, Macao, Gramps, and Lucy! As well as everyone you've every hurt Gajeel!" Natsu shouted angrily but was grinningly stupidly whilst he did so, and Gajeel simply didn't stand a chance against a powerful spell and eventually all of his armour was punched off. Also at that time the whole room collapsed, and sent shockwaves down the infrastructure of the Super Giant Mage Phantom Mark II.

Gajeel was uppercut and landed on a lower floor, armour stripped entirely, shirtless and knocked out senseless. "Hah, you see? I told you... I was better." Natsu grinned triumphantly before falling down and letting the exertion sink in. The roof was totalled and half the floor was destroyed by the battle.

"Natsu-san, you went overboard you idiot!" Gallade shouted in frustration, but began laughing at the same time. "Oh dear, what will the Council make of this?" Gallade asked, looking up suddenly as he then sensed a deadly presence. "Senpai..."

"Aye sir!" Happy cheered, no longer bothered by what had happened and Lucy was crying out of happiness

* * *

**With Rex**

Rex let out a long breath and he sat there, looking at Aria. Then he reverted back to his normal state and sat down, taking deep breaths, also noting that the Shell Smash had reset himself. "Woo, that was harder than Gajeel. Trying to attack him when he was teleporting all over the place was a pain." He admitted and jumped up when he heard approaching footsteps, but relaxed when he saw that Mira, Elfman and Gray had followed them.

"Hey guys." Rex grinned, and noted at how Elfman and Gray looked battle worn.

"Who's that guy?" Gray asked.

"The last member of the Element Four. And I beat him!" Rex said happily and then they all felt a shockwave from above. Then the sound of a powerful explosion filled the air.

"That has to be Natsu. Only a man like him could make that much racket." Elfman said proudly, thinking that he would be finishing his fight with Gajeel and getting back for what he did to Fairy Tail.

"The Abyss Break also stopped, but afterward it looked as if there was something else out there that wanted to destroy the Guild Hall." Gray remarked as he stopped to look outside through a gap in the building. Rex walked over wearily and saw that it was true, and also observed the pink soundwaves from Gardevoir.

That however was soon prove to be the least of his worries. "I'm impressed by you persistent Fairies." A voice called out and a dark aura began to fill the room. The aura was one that stank of death and Rex gagged at the feeling. Jose Porla walked into the room and was surrounded by a dark purple that poisoned the air around it. His second outfit was less flamboyant, being more militaristic than wizard like.

Jose's main attire consisted of a blue coat closed on the right side of Jose's chest by a belt circling his waist and by another one going over his right shoulder, sporting Phantom Lord's symbol on its buckle; the coat had wide golden stripes going down from the high collar, which sported a pair of large rings hanging from it on the front, to the cuffs, with other golden parts in correspondence to the closure and below the waist, on each side.

His Wizard Saint's medallion was still visible on the same spot, but had dark ribbons hanging from it instead. Covering Jose's left arm was a brownish cape, sporting a wide golden-colored stripe near the edges and some small shield-shaped ornaments placed at the same distance from one another. The outfit was completed by loose pants tucked inside boots and Jose no longer wore a hat, instead his hair was tied backwards in a ponytail.

Jose was clapping his hands slowly and carried on regardless. "You're an entertaining bunch if nothing else, you've stopped Jupiter, defeated my Element Four and made me angry. I must truly honour you the only way possible." Jose concluded with a sinister smile.

"Get away from here as quickly as possible Mira." Rex warned, sensing the danger from him. Whatever was going on outside meant nothing in comparison to the danger in front of them.

"Let's go Elfman!" Gray shouted and the two of them rushed towards Phantom Lord's Guildmaster.

"Stop, both of you!" Rex shouted and he put a hand out to stop them, but it was useless. Jose moved his arm in an arc like fashion and a number of explosions followed the path that was taken in front of them, and everyone was caught out by what happened. When the smoke cleared it revealed Elfman and Gray both defeated by the Spell, and Rex shielded himself and Mirajane with Protect.

"Elfman!" Mirajane cried out and she went over towards him. Jose smirked there, enjoying the scene and Rex attended to Gray.

"Look, you can't fight now, no matter what you say." Rex said gently, looking into her eyes. "Let me handle this. All you have to do is keep the two of them safe. I can beat Jose, you shouldn't worry about me." He added reassuringly, and deep down he thought grimly about how it could be a long battle.

As Mirajane reluctantly did she was she was told, knowing that he was right and once again felt frustrated as how she was unable to fight using her Satan Soul - what was holding her back? Her fear? Mirajane held Gray over her shoulder and did her best to carry Elfman out of the way, and she limped towards a smaller room.

"I'll admit I wasn't sure about you and your unusual Take Over, especially after what happened with Gajeel at our Guild Hall earlier on today." Jose admitted, getting ready for the inevitable fight. "I was shocked to see you not only fight off my Jupiter Cannon but to also defeat the strongest member of the Element Four as well was truly amazing. I want to know just how you did it." Jose said with earnest and Rex paused.

Jose was right in a way. Rex was the one to pound Gajeel badly at the Phantom Lord Guild Hall, then he stopped Jupiter with a combination of Hyper Beam and Blast Burn and as well as taking on some of Jose's weaker Shades Rex fought and defeated Aria of the Element Four. _And now I'm gonna beat the ever loving crap outta you Jose._ Rex thought but he gave a different answer.

"Simple, it's because of the Plates that were given to me. I can feel their power coursing through my body and more than just that." Rex said as he used Work Up. "It's also because of the faith I have with my friends at Fairy Tail and you would not believe how much you've pissed me off Jose. Your Dragon Slayer trashes the Guild Hall and brutally defeats Greninja, you then kidnap Lucy and sneak attack Makarov and what's more... You. Used. The Iron Plate." Rex glared at him, no longer. "You think using Father's power for your own means is good?" He shouted.

"You mean that artifact. It had unfathomable amounts of power, and that's what matters in the end. Power above all else, those who are weak should be left behind to waste away." Jose smirked back, knowing that it would start now.

"No one deserves to be left behind, and I'll prove it to you!" Rex shouted and dashed forwards, creating a Sacred Sword he jumped and slashed downwards at Jose who caught it with a single hand, unprotected. Rex tried to push it down and was surprised at how he was easily capable of catching it and was thrown back when it shattered. Rex hit the floor and quickly got up again.

Switching to the Fist Plate Rex ran forwards and attacked with Jump Kick, roundhouse kicking Jose who blocked it, but Rex saw that he was pushed back slightly, indicating that it was working, but nowhere near as much as he wanted it to and realised that he also needed to lower Jose's defences. "You know something? I think that tickled." Jose smirked and pushed back lightly, blasting Rex away with his Magic power. He put one foot back to stop himself from falling over and decided to switch to another tactic.

"**Aura Sphere!**" Rex shouted as he formed several blue orbs and threw them at Jose, and they all found their mark, but when the smoke cleared he saw that Jose looked as if nothing had ever happened. _Shit, I really gotta do something like use Screech and Metal Sound._ He thought and jumped back cautiously.

There was another explosion from where Natsu and Gajeel were fighting, this time for the Crimson Lotus: Fire Dragon's Fist spell and shockwaves were sent through the room they were in. "My my, your Dragon Slayer seems to have made quite the racket." Jose smiled, and it was a smile that irritated Rex.

"Good, that's what Natsu's well known for. He carries the spirit with the Guild and if he had some brains then he would probably be on par with Erza or any other S-Class wizards and is underestimated really badly by just about everyone." Rex responded back with his own smile.

Jose dismissed that comment and wanted to focus on a subject of interest. "But I want to talk about you and your interesting Take Over, and I almost wanted your fight with him to carry on and I would've seen you win. However I had other plans involving Lucy Heartfilia of the Heartfilia Konzern." Jose said, and that information made Rex pause.

"The Heartfilia Konzern? Lucy told the Guild a bit about her family but not the Konzern stuff. She said that her father had hired you thugs to take her home, so what the hell was this all about?" Rex shouted, now angry.

Jose found Rex's anger amusing. "Fairy Tail was a side effect of this, after all Lucy is a member of it. But why stop there when we could use her to get more money off of the Heartfilia family?" Jose asked gleefully.

At first Rex was angrier but then he smiled and let out a chuckle. "Hahahaha! You don't know the half of it! Lucy's a runaway, renting a 70,000 Jewel a month apartment in Magnolia Town. I wouldn't expect a runaway like her to then ask her home for spare change don't you agree?" Rex asked with a smile and Jose took a sharp angry breath.

"It won't matter either way. I still get to eliminate you puny Fairies!" Jose shouted with a smile and moved his arm in an arc fashion and once more explosions began to follow but Rex switched to the Sky Plate to avoid the powerful spell. It also gave him an advantage over Jose, since he was allowed to attack from above and below in a way.

Rex dove down and Jose expected an attacking move, but Rex used Screech and sent damaging sound waves at Jose that harshly lowered his defence. After that Rex swooped round and used Metal Sound, sending out a painful scraping sound by rubbing his glowing hands together that made Jose take a step back from the awful noise. "Now it's my turn!" Rex declared as he used Air Slash twice.

"Don't bother with that flying, it won't save you from my **Dead Wave!**" Jose responded and dark purple energy gathered around his outstretched hand and some of his Shades swirled around it. Then he fired it at Rex who dived down to avoid the blast which generated a powerful shockwave behind him that could be felt by everyone present.

"What was that?" Rex replied then he dived down further and used Aerial Ace, but was stopped by Jose. His persistence told him that in spite of his magical power there was a way to get around this if he kept on going and pushing Jose, who was holding firm and then fired a beam of Magic from his other hand and send Rex crashing into a wall.

Rex was still undeterred though as he then switched to the Zap Plate and fired a Thunderbolt at Jose who could feel the electrical power and began wondering what was going on here. Jose then pointed a finger and a concentrated red beam shot forwards and struck the opposing wall, destroying a section of it. Rex ceased the attack when another red beam made contact with a section of the wall, also destroying it.

"Grr..." Rex growled in annoyance. He stood up and paused for a moment to consider his next action, as hitting Jose head on would get him nowhere, then remembered that as well as having attacking moves, there were also status moves. That gave Rex an idea as he conjured a purple flame in his hand. "**Will-O-Wisp!**" He said fired a number of purple flames from his hand.

Jose didn't bother avoiding it and let it hit him, but then noticed the smile on Rex's face. "That did nothing, so why are you so cheerful?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Rex didn't answer as Jose felt his whole body burn briefly and it was about a painful as being stung. "What was that?!" He demanded in outrage.

"Hah, you've been burnt. You'll take some damage during the battle. A small amount, but it adds up." Rex said with a grin before using Thunder and shocking Jose badly. Then he followed it up by switching to the Icicle Plate and freezing Jose's arm with Ice Beam. "Feeling cool Jose?" Rex smirked at the pun, but Jose was not seeing the funny side of it.

"Enough!" Jose shouted and the ice shattered, and he was surrounded by a dark aura. "You think you're the only one who is capable of making jokes? Then watch as my Darkness Magic erases your light. Dead Wave!" Jose roared as the beam formed in his hand and he fired one at Rex who dodged it with ease. Jose then formed another Dead Wave quickly afterwards and caught Rex by surprise.

"Aaaagh!" Rex cried out as he felt the full force of the Spell hit him. He was engulfed in a large white explosion and red sparks were sent throughout the Phantom Mark II that was visible from outside. Many of the standing members and the conscious pokemon were seeing it and hoping for the best.

Rex fell onto the the floor and got up slowly, making sure to keep his balance. He had to restore his energy and quickly, especially because that last attack Jose used hurt. "You're not going to get rid of me that easily, Jose." He said with determination and switched to the Fist Plate again, figuring that he could resist Jose's Darkness's Magic more and because he wanted to use Drain Punch.

Jose moved his arm up to cast a spell but was stopped suddenly when his burn acted up again. Rex took this opportunity to run forwards and hit him in the stomach with Drain Punch. A swirling green and black orb formed in his hand before it made contact with Jose's stomach loudly. Green energy flowed into the orb and then flowed into Rex and the longer it was held there the more energy was transfered.

It didn't take long for Jose to recover from the blow and a purple orb formed around his arm. The Wizard Saint then punched Rex in the head and disconnect them and send him flying into the wall. Rex definitely felt better after using Drain Punch, and wondered how much Magic energy he converted to his own unique energy. "That's just what I needed, a nice pick me up." He smiled.

Rex stopped smiling when Jose then appeared in front of him and kicked him into the wall. Just before he made impact with the concrete Jose caught him and flung Rex up, following it shortly with his Dark Pulse Spell, seemingly stronger than before. "I'll have to give you some credit though. I haven't seen a finer person being able to last against me for this long." Jose complimented him, and Rex wondered if the tone in his voice was patronising him.

"Thank you Jose, so why don't you let me return the compliment by kicking your ass!" Rex responded as he got up, facing Phantom Lord's Guild Master with an uneasy look. _I will not lose!_

* * *

**And that's that. I had nearly finished this anyway so now I get to finally upload another chapter. Don't expect the next till July, maybe June if I'm lucky.**

**Next Time on Guardian Fairy - Fairy Law**

**Rex continues his struggle against Jose and now Erza has joined the fight to help him. Can the two of them and their combined might overcome a Wizard Saint?**


	13. Fairy Law (Phantom Lord Finale)

**And this is most likely the last chapter in the Phantom Lord Arc, with two major battles taking place in this chapter, so this is probably going to be a long one. In case it is a longer chapter then you have had your warning. Also, there will be some hints of romance between Rex and Erza. And after that... Keep reading. I'm also considering doing another straight up Fairy Tail fic sometime soon so keep a look out if you're interested.**

**Previous on Guardian Fairy - **

**Rex: **Holy smokes Father! Non stop action on my end. I had to first defeat the final member of the Element Four, some creep in a blindfold who called himself Aria. It was no mean feat though, his Airspace Magic packs quite a punch! It was a hard fought battle but I won when the Spell he used to get rid of Makarov's Magic failed on me. For obvious reasons. Then Natsu and Gallade fought Gajeel. It appeared equal at first, but then Gajeel gained a dangerous advantage over him and would have killed Natsu had Gallade not interfered. During that fight Gardevoir Mega Evolved when the Guild Hall was destroyed by Jose's Shades. Never underestimate Pixilated Hyper Voice!

Anyway with some help from him and Lucy Natsu recovered and delivered a strong finishing blow that knocked out Gajeel and destroyed the area where they were fighting. During the end of their fight I began my fight after Gray and Elfman were knocked out by Jose and I began fighting with him. So far it looks pretty even but Jose is a Wizard Saint, so it's really hard to tell.

* * *

**Chapter 13: Fairy Law**

Rex stopped smiling when Jose then appeared in front of him and kicked him into the wall. Just before he made impact with the concrete Jose caught him and flung Rex up, following it shortly with his Dark Pulse Spell, seemingly stronger than before. "I'll have to give you some credit though. I haven't seen a finer person being able to last against me for this long." Jose complimented him, and Rex wondered if the tone in his voice was patronising him.

"Thank you Jose, so why don't you let me return the compliment by kicking your ass!" Rex responded as he got up, facing Phantom Lord's Guild Master with an uneasy look._ I will not lose!_

"I also compliment you by making me feel pain in this fight, but it is only minor in comparison to the pain I will inflict on you in thus fight, and you want to know why?" Jose asked and Rex didn't answer him, opting for silence as if to say go on. "Because the thought of someone as strong as you in Fairy Tail angers me. For the past several years I have been hearing about the stringers members of Fairy Tail. Salamander, Gildarts, Mystogan, Erza, Mirajane, Laxus. And then more recently, YOU! All of a sudden one or two weeks ago there were reports of how you destroyed the Guildmaster Conference with an attacks stronger than that of Salamander!" Jose thundered, making Rex jump at the volume of the voice.

Outside, the remaining members of Fairy Tail heard his voice booming and paused as they heard Jose rambling on and on. "One Guild I've been hearing about non stop is Fairy Tail and their constant destruction of other buildings, and I've always been hearing comparisons between our two Guilds. Many years ago, Phantom Lord was considered until several years ago. NO MORE! I WON'T TOLERATE THOSE FOOLS ANYMORE! I WILL PROVE THAT PHANTOM LORD IS THE BETTER GUILD ONCE AND FOR ALL!" Jose began shouting really loudly now and Rex covered his ears to block out some of the sound.

"But that won't happen Jose, because it's just you and me now." Rex replied coolly but thought, _Did I really just say that? God that sounds cheesy. _Rex shook his head and switched to the Iron Plate, deciding to go for a more defensive routes and used Iron Defense to increase his defense sharply so that any physical moves made by Jose would do less. To help it further he materialised his armour and Jose couldn't help but notice the similarities between them and Gajeel's Iron Dragon Scales.

"You mean you're going to try." Jose smiled then closed his eyes and opened them to reveal they had gone black with yellow iris' that made Rex swallow a lump in his throat. Jose surrounded a fist with his Darkness Magic and suddenly appeared in front of Rex again and drew back his fist. Rex instinctively jumped back but that was a mistake, because it was want Jose wanted as he then punched Rex upwards from behind and the Guardian turned to face Jose.

"**Metal Burst!**" Rex shouted and fired a metal orb at Jose, who took a small step back and let it explode in front of him, creating a small hole. He then followed this up with Gear Grind and threw two glowing blue gears at Jose and they were rotating at a very fast rate. Jose caught them and Rex jumped forwards and began using Bullet Punch to hit him with a barrage of lightning fast punches then jumped back.

"**Dead Wave!**" Jose chanted as he unleashed another strong purple beam at Rex who surrounded himself with a light green shield and protected himself from the attack, but noticed that there were several cracks in the shield and that made Rex even more nervous. "You really are an interesting person, Guardian Fairy. Defeating you _will_ be rewarding" Jose smirked and smiled a very long smile crept up his face.

Rex didn't say anything as he ran forwards and met Jose's fist with a Brick Break, sending a shockwave throughout the room and then followed it up with Fire Punch. It met a Darkness enhanced fist and the power of both attacks sent them both backwards.

"**Fake Out!**" Rex said as he rushed forwards and smacked Jose across the cheek, making him flinch. This was followed up by Rex firing a Mud Bomb at Jose, aiming for his face to obscure his vision that also meant he could not sense Rex as he didn't use Magic.

After the Mud Bomb hit its target Rex ran forwards and punched Jose hard with Meteor Mash, sending him up in the air and he jumped forwards, spinning as he used Drill Peck in quick succession. This move scored a critical hit and Jose was forced into a wall, but he caught Rex and forced him to stop. Then Jose kicked him backwards and used Dark Pulse again from his hands directly. Another series of explosions rocked the place and Rex was thrown back across the room from the sheer force of the attacks.

Jose smirked and neither person said another word. Rex was panting having taken the Spell used by Jose fully on and was hearing the explosions ring in his ear, and was wondering if he ever had any chance at all. True there were signs of the damage Jose took and the Magic spent on his spells, but Rex had a nasty feeling that Jose was only just getting serious and the eyes screamed danger. During that time Jose's burn had acted up several times and he was sweating under the heat.

"If you can't take the heat then get out of the kitchen. **Lava Plume!**" Rex shouted as he span round several times and unleashed several waves of fire at the surrounding area burning everything the flames came into contact with. Jose held up his hands as the fire rushed over him, grunting at how much trouble he was running into and began wondering about the prospect of defeat.

However those doubts quickly turned to anger and a purple aura began surrounding him much like at the start of their fight. Rex looked on apprehensively as he wondered what was going to happen, as it turned out Jose was going to go onto a rant. "No, this won't happen! I won't lose to a pathetic Fairy such as yourself! You are going to die!" Jose roared and Rex felt the enormous pressure he did earlier on, but it wasn't as large which may have been a good sign.

A purple orb formed above, in front of Jose with a darker center. "**Dark Blitz!**" Jose shouted and a purple seal appeared behind it. Then a volley of smaller purple orbs shot out of the larger one that exploded on contact with anything.

Rex stood for a moment to look at the oncoming assault before deciding to simply counter it. He switched to the Zap Plate and used Discharge, aiming for as many of the orbs as possible. However more kept coming and Rex dived out of the way whilst switching back to the Iron Plate as he took the remainder of the attack head on, what was worse was the fact that he didn't have his armour on made things feel much worse and Rex cried out in pain.

"That's just what I want. To see you suffering, as the Guild suffers!" Jose grinned before beginning to laugh at the smoking form of Rex Vermend, and he slowly got up to face the Wizard Saint, eyes burning with anger.

"There is one thing I don't get Jose. Why didn't you kill Makarov when Aria ambushed him back the Phantom Lord Guild Hall in Oak Town?" Rex asked angrily when Jose stopped laughing and he panted heavily. He was beginning to realise the reality of his situation and realised that the only way to go forwards was to use move combinations, with the first being Stockpile and Swallow.

Jose smirked again, though he was slightly surprised at his insight. "Because I want to make Makarov suffer. Although Phantom Lord may have been the strongest Guild back then, one day I got into a fight with Makarov after we had had a few drinks. We were boasting about the strength of our Guild and then I said a few... unsavoury things about Fairy Tail that angered Makarov. That brute acted like a monster when he beat me, and since then I have grown to hate your pathetic Guild." He explained in a matter-of-fact tone.

Rex looked on incredulously and his jaw dropped slightly. "So all this started because of a stupid fight that you deservedly lost?" He cried out in surprise and inhaled with Stockpile. Then he spat up into the air before Swallowing it and restoring some of his lost health in the fight. Rex didn't bother about the stat change, as thing stayed where they were and Rex faced Jose with renewed vigour.

"Whether I lost the fight deservedly as you put it does not matter. What does matter however is the justice that I am going to wreak on this Guild. I maybe the only one standing, but by the time Makarov gets here it will be too late!" Jose said before charging up another Dead Wave, but held it on for longer so that it would be stronger. Rex crouch as if to anticipate the move but Jose punched him into the air before firing a larger purple beam at him.

There was a large explosion and the remaining windows shattered. The smoke cleared to reveal Rex in his flying Forme, protected by a silver shield with a hexagonal pattern on it. "You're lucky you didn't hit the King's Shield directly because it would have been better for me. I'll amp this up right now - **Legendary Forme - Groudon!**" Rex shouted and was briefly surrounded by crimson red energy before revealing his red and black self that Gajeel had come up against when they briefly fought.

Jose smiled in recognition. "Ah yes, I remember seeing that when you knocked on our door. Gajeel may have underestimated that Take Over, but don't expect me!" He replied with an air of triumph. A purple orb formed in his hand again and Phantoms spiralled into it. "I want to see you with fear in your eyes as you come against me!" Jose shouted with glee and fired another Dead Wave at Rex.

"No way, Jose!" Rex retorted, and his voice sounded deeper. Flames dripped from his mouth before he used Flamethrower and countered Jose's spell, the attack aided by the intense sunlight. Fire and purple/pink energy rippled across the Phantom Lord Hall as the two attacks tried to push each other backwards and gain an advantage but there was no success.

* * *

Outside everyone felt warmer, almost to the point where it was unbearable. "Man, what happened? It feels like the town just got warmer by a good 5 degrees at least!" Cana noted and she wiped her forehead.

A heavily injured Loke, helped by Reedus, stumbled over. "Didn't we feel this once before when we were at Phantom Lord's Guild Hall and Rex and Gajeel were fighting? Didn't Rex change his appearance into something red, mean and nasty?" He asked wearily and there was a great babble amongst the other members of Fairy Tail.

"He referred to it as Groudon, is he in that state again?" Macao asked out loud.

"Since the sunlight is intense then Rex has indeed gone Groudon as you said. All we can do is hope that Rex beats Jose during the period that Drought lasts for or else we're doomed." Greninja stated.

Mystogan didn't say anything but was surprised at what his Guild was saying around him. _They are talking as if Rex can go beyond his normal Multitype powers. How is that even possible? And what is his limit, if there are any?_ He thought and decided to quietly leave, disappearing in a shimmer of mist.

* * *

Back with Rex the two attacks had subsided, neither gaining the upper hand. Jose leapt forwards with a fist but Rex sidestepped it and rammed his stomach with Flame Charge. Groudon had stronger Attack, which Rex realised after he first used that Forme when fighting with Gajeel. Combine that with Flame Charge and the Fist Plate would result in some serious damage, hopefully.

"Not gonna get away that easily Jose!" Rex said angrily before sending him up even further with Blaze Kick. Then, Rex was surrounded by an inferno of flames and he let out a wild yell not unlike Natsu and shot forwards with Flare Blitz, also surrounding Jose in fire and there was an explosion when they reached the ceiling. They both fell to the ground and red sparks flashed around Rex, having taken a lot of recoil damage.

Jose stood up slowly, smoking in several places. The Wizard Saint was beginning to tire as well, especially after that last attack which hurt quite a lot. He got up quickly before Rex did and his opponent cursed in anger. Jose kept a straight face, but Rex could tell from the tone that he was not amused. "The only other person to actually hurt me like that was Makarov. Every time you attack me is a painful reminder of that day, so I will ensure your demise."

"You know your problem Jose? You talk too much." Rex growled as he stood up to face Jose and summoned a blue pole in his hand and Jose rushed forwards with two Darkness enhanced fists. They clashed as Rex blocked several quick strikes from Jose. He tripped him up and then delivered a strong blow to his face before sending Jose backwards with a thrust to the back.

Rex ran forwards, twirling it in his hands and came down from above to deliver a blow to Jose's head and the Wizard Saint countered with a fist to Rex's stomach followed by one to his abdomen and Rex fell on the floor with a groan. Jose grinned and combined his two fists into one powerful one and tried to punch him in the head, but a Bone Rush blocked his fist and they struggled for a while.

Rex held it up and pushed with both hands, using Strength in hopes of gaining ground. However the Wizard Saint was using more Magic to make his Dark Fist even stronger and the Giant Phantom began rumbling from the force of the two attacks. There was a jolt and Jose jumped backwards, at the same time, Rex felt the Bone Rush shatter and he got up a little too quickly.

* * *

Everyone back at the now destroyed Guild Hall felt the ground shaking beneath them as well and continued watching on in anticipation. By this time everyone bar Erza and Rex had made it back to Magnolia Town, much to the nervousness of the others who wanted to know what was going on. "How is Rex doing?" Cana asked Gallade as Happy carried him after dropping Lucy off.

"I don't know Cana-san. I was with Natsu-san and the others, so I've only had to guess at a few things. It could go either way." Gallade admitted with a scowl on his face that suggested that he didn't wanted to answer that.

Cana realised that she was being insensitive and sweated nervously. "Sorry it's just that I..." She began but Gallade waved it away, not offended by her. She let out a sigh of relief.

"So where's Erza then? I can't feel her using any of her Magic power currently." Gray noted, focusing on the two Mages in the Phantom Mark II. He could definitely feel Jose, as he remembered the feeling shortly before he was knocked out by the Guildmaster. And he was currently engaged in a battle with Rex.

"Probably still making her way there. It's like a maze in there thanks to the transformation." Mirajane added solemnly. She along with the rest Guild kept hoping for Rex to come out victorious despite his seemingly insane plan to take on Jose alone, and the bartender was pleased to hear that Erza was there as well.

* * *

Rex shook his head clear and launched a Flamethrower at Jose who dodged it, but Rex turned his head towards Phantom Lord's Guildmaster and he kept up the Flamethrower. Jose dodged them again before using Dark Pulse to send the flames scattering and Rex stopped using the move before going to another move. "**Eruption!**" He shouted and unleashed strong red flames, but unlike the time with Natsu they were weaker. Instead of having power of 150, it was more like a power of 100 now.

Jose shielded his face as the flames surrounded him and his burn acted up as well. Rex forgot that were it not for the burn he would've been inflicted with even more damage. Flaring his power, the ground rumbled again and several cracks appeared in it, and Rex also lost his balance slightly.

"Oh please, I can use Earthquake you know." Rex stated, unimpressed as he slammed his foot down and the shockwaves began shaking the room violently. The ground beneath Jose jolted and jerked before they pushed each other together and sent him crashing into the wall, creating a small crater. They both watched as a section of the ceiling fell onto the floor and Rex cut it off.

During the quake, Erza fell onto the floor and covered her head with her hands. Now in her Heart Kreuz Armour, she waited until it subsided. Around her, smaller decoration fell onto the floor and broke and things moved out of place and a small crack appeared in the ceiling. When it did subside, she got up and let out a baited breath. "Rex, it's admirable that you last this long, but I've got to help you or you'll lose this fight!" She said, and felt her stomach churn at the prospect of losing him.

Erza then realised that she felt concern for him, not just on a normal level like she usually did - this was something more. She pushed those feelings out of her mind and she carried on towards the fighting duo, Requipping into her Black Wing Armour she began running faster towards them.

"Your power definitely is a sight to behold." Jose complimented him again before smirking evilly, having just thought of a deadly plan in his mind. Jose remembered getting a mysterious visitor just days after the Guild Conference Hall was destroyed by Rex using Scared Fire. The visitor was cloaked and wore goggles but there was something in the way he spoke that made Jose feel reassured. At first Jose was sceptical, but after the cloaked figure told him that he wanted what Jose wanted, Jose was all ears and the man, calling himself Kelsier gave him the knowledge of a spell to use against Rex. "But you could be a part of Phantom Lord, and make it the strongest Guild in Fiore." Jose offered.

Rex's face was dark as he listened to Jose and he looked up defiant an in anger. "Why would I even consider that Jose you bastard?" He snapped and Jose dropped his smile in mild surprise. "Look at what your Guild has done, and what you have done as well. Kidnap Lucy, sneak an attack on Makarov, threaten the Guild, use the Iron Plate, kidnap Lucy again and now you expect me to join you? I have an idea - GO TO HELL!" Rex shouted in defiance.

Jose was genuinely surprised by this outburst and lost his composure for several moments, but the prospect of using a spell that was banned by the Council overrode those feelings. His aura flared, and it slowly turned from purple to black. "I'm very disappointed by you Guardian Fairy, you should have accepted my offer when you had the chance, and you could have so easily ended this. Guess you will go to hell before I do." Jose replied, sounding bitter and upset.

The ground began shaking again but differently this time as a black orb with a red center began forming in front of Jose and the lights seemed to dim as Jose directed his Magic energy towards the expanding orb and a piece of the floor disintegrated against the orb, which was now almost as large as the Cannon Lacrima that powered Jupiter and was drawing some of the smaller debris towards it through some force.

Rex felt himself frozen on the spot in fear, because of the fact that it gave off an aura of death and nothing else. It was also because of the fact that Jose was grinning like a complete maniac as if he was expecting an answer like that. If that was true then Rex now had to find a way to block it or beat it, but they were almost all situational and the only conceivable way was for him to use a really big boosted attack. _Crap, I... I can't!_ Rex swallowed with horrible realisation. _No matter what I can't beat it in time. I'm sorry... everyone._ He thought and let his strength go.

"Excellent! That's what I want to see! Your face of suffering and anguish. **Nightmare Reset Bomb!**" Jose roared and his directed his Spell at the standing Guardian of the Plates and it slowly seemed to fall towards Rex with no intention of slowing down as it got closer.

_Natsu... Gray... Lucy... Master... Erza... I'm sorry that I did this. Father... Palkia... Dialga... I'm sorry for being reckless enough to actually get myself killed. Please forgive me._ Rex thought just before it hit him and engulfed him in dark energy. Then it exploded.

* * *

There was a very loud BOOM followed by a loud clap of thunder that could be heard all over Magnolia Town. At the same time there was a flash of light that hid the main hall from the other members of the Guild and they covered up their eyes. Although no one could hear him, Rex screamed from the pain that was currently coursing through his body.

"Oh my God! What the hell happened?" Cana asked, shaking nervously.

"I... don't know." Wakaba added, too shocked to notice his pipe had fallen on to the floor. "All I felt was a really strong Magical surge and then this happened." He muttered in awestruck.

Gardevoir stumbled and fell down to floor but Gallade caught her. "What's going on nii-chan?" He asked with concern. Gallade could feel something too, but with everything going on it was fuzzy to him.

"It's Rex. I have no idea what happened, but he's in pain and lots of it." Gardevoir muttered, and everyone near her looked shocked with a mixture of concern and horror on their faces.

"Don't be ridiculous! Rex ain't out of this fight yet, he's stronger than Natsu!" Greninja replied quickly, but couldn't help but feel sick at the power that was coming from the Phantom Mark II. Whatever happened was not something cute and colourful, of that much Greninja was certain.

* * *

The result of the powerful Spell was made clear once everything went silent. The roof of the place had been destroyed, and only the sky was visible. In fact, everything above a certain height was just gone as the two of them were the only ones left. Gajeel had recovered enough to make the sensible decision of crawling away from the Super Giant Mage Phantom Mark II during their fight. Jose smirked initially upon seeing no sign of Rex but then he stopped smirking all of a sudden.

In front of him was Rex Vermend certainly, but it was a different him and several feet around him looked untouched, but he shook his head and got up, crouching slightly. Rex swapped his Groudon Forme for something very different, now having short, spiky cream hair that stood up for the most part, however there was one spike that distinctly went downwards. His outfit was comprised of what appeared to be a single piece suit as well. It was mostly black and covered his body, arms and legs. However there were some purple lines that ran along the shoulder, around the neck and down the sides. Rex also wore on his head a pair of black goggles with yellow tinted frames.

"That wasn't just me crying in pain. At the last minute I tried to stop it and something snapped inside of me." Rex duly noted as he looked at himself. "When this is all over I'll have a chat with Palkia and Dialga but right now..." He began but was cut off sharply.

Jose was more than a little made, he was absolutely furious that Rex had somehow managed to survive, especially after someone told him the effects of this Spell. "Impossible! You were supposed to survive that!" He thundered and then summoned a number of ghosts that made Rex flinch in disgust at them. Then they suddenly wrapped themselves around Rex and began squeezing him.

"What the hell is... This...?" Rex began and choked slightly as the ghosts tightened their hold on him and he began to struggle. However purple sparks shocked him and the ghosts squeezed even tighter than before if such a thing were possible.

"That is my **Shade Entangle** Spell. It's useless to struggle as it will only make the pain worse." Jose said, still not smirking, though he had cooled down considerably. "I'll say this once again, Guardian Fairy. It really was a shame to see you turn down my offer, though if you reconsider now then things will be OK." Jose added in an oily tone, but was lying through his teeth.

"Go to... hell... Jose." Rex replied and his muscles bulged as he used Strength to momentarily stretch the ghosts surrounding him, but after a brief period he let go and cried out in pain as they began squeezing the stomach in particular even harder than before. It reminded Rex of something that happened several years ago when he was helping the Kalos Police Force look into what sounded like a potential reforming of Team Flare, made up of some of the ex admins as the leaders.

Rex was found and captured, then was forced to endure several weeks of torture. At first, they tried feeding him less food than usual to make him talk. But when all the nice options didn't work they turned to more extreme measures, which included being electrocuted by a group of Magneton, only eating one meal a day and at different times too, they even tried the old fashioned beat down of Rex. But they did one thing badly, which was underestimating his willpower. Rex held out because the Kalos Police Force who were aided by the International Police stuck a tracker on his body and found them after 25 days, during which Rex had lost a lot of weight.

When they did make their move, they managed to clean most of it up in one sweep mainly due to the arrests of Xerosic and Celosia. The other members were eventually arrested by members of the Kalos Police Force and Rex was praised for his valiant effort and endurance, though the experience left him paranoid for the following month and often mistook people to be members of the organisation. If it weren't for the help of his pokemon he might have ended up in prison.

"You know something funny... I survived worse... than this. This... tickles..." Rex grunted, deciding to give up before smiling as if there was a joke that only he could see the punchline for.

Jose's eyebrows twitched in irritation. "This is nothing to what my Shades can really do! So I'll show you and enjoy the suffering on your face!" He barked loudly and flicked his wrists to tighten them even further and there now was a sickly grin on his face.

However that all came to an end when the floor beneath Rex exploded and a giant cross slash broke him free of his bonds, and the Guardian of the Plates collapsed, but not before he could see it was none other than Erza Scarlet in her Black Wing Armour, holding her sword out to a surprised Jose.

The Wizard Saint then returned to his casual, cool smile. "I certainly didn't expect someone else to be in here with him. I thought you had all abandoned him alone with me. It appears I was mistaken." Jose mused in a mocking voice.

"No member of Fairy Tail would ever turn their back on an ally of the Guild." Erza said before turning to Rex. "Don't you know... HOW UTTERLY RIDICULOUS YOUR ACTIONS WERE? YOU COULD'VE BEEN KILLED!" Erza scolded him loudly and her voice could be heard by the Guild members across the water, and many of them were shivering in fear.

"She's even scarier when we can't see her angry!" Lucy cried as many of the other members shivered. The pokemon just looked on blankly, as they had never seen Erza angry so they had no clue. Greninja on the other hand shuddered, having seen some of Erza's actions during the Lullaby incident towards Natsu when he missed the fact that Kageyama was a a part of Eisenwald.

"You really shouldn't be so weak willed Lucy." Happy sighed, shaking his head.

"I don't see you standing up to her you stupid cat!" Lucy retorted quickly. "Besides, you imagine what she's looking like now." She suggested and Happy nearly shrieked in fright before dropping to his knees, having quite literally imagined Erza with the face of a monster (aka Ichiya).

Rex winced at the loudness of the voice before responding calmly. "You know, you can't stay mad at me, because you're impressed at the fact I held out for this long." He replied calmly, having used the Mind Plate to read her mind.

Erza took in a deep breath before huffing and looking away and saying. "Even though I am impressed, I still believe those actions were reckless and foolhardy. Jose didn't get the title of his Wizard Saint overnight you know." She pointed out - somewhat childishly.

"Are you saying that because you're worried about me?" Rex butt in with a sly smile on his face.

That was correct but Erza tried to act like she was outraged with the suggestion. "That's nonsense!" She shot back, but her cheeks betrayed her as she began blushing slightly.

"...Are you done bickering yet?" Jose asked, he had a blank expression on his face and for some reason wasn't attacking them.

Erza quickly turned to face him as did Rex. "Careful, he's the real deal Erza. I nearly did die as you say, and I feel a lot more confident now that you're here." He said out loud before using the Mind Plate to communicate telepathically. _We'll have to keep attacking him nonstop and put more pressure on Jose. If he starts to fight back, dodge it at all costs. _Rex added before smirking.

_Is something the matter? _Erza asked, confused at his confidence.

_Since unlocking the Mind Plate I can know use any ability, regardless of which Plate I am using, as I please but I'll answer questions later. _Rex replied before nodding and saying, "Ability Change: Pure Power." And watched as golden writing on the back of his hand switched from Synchronize to Pure Power. "**Extreme Speed.**" Rex said before seemingly disappearing in a blur, and the only way to tell where he was was by looking out for a blur in the air.

All of a sudden Jose was punched in the cheek by Rex who quickly ran round and kicked him from behind then followed it up with several quick hooks across his body. Rex then struck from above and below before combining the Extreme Speed with a powerful Jump Kick that made Jose stumble. "Now Erza!" He shouted.

Erza jumped forwards and used Moon Flash, attacking Jose with a cross slash. She quickly followed this up with several strikes from her Black Wing Sword and the Guildmaster crashed into the wall, getting increasingly frustrated by the constant annoyance of the pair.

Rex followed this up by switching from Extreme Speed to Sacred Sword. "Batter up!" He shouted and attacked Jose, using the sword to push him back across the Hall. Then he jumped forwards and struck twice with Mach Punch and right after that used Sacred Sword to lift him in the air, aided by Strength and Erza flew down, using Moon Flash once more and there was an explosion.

"No, I won't be defeated that easily!" Jose shouted in anger and his purple aura flared again.

"What the hell? We performed a rally of attacks and he's still standing?" Rex growled and felt his legs almost gave way as a result of all the damage he had taken.

Erza however took stock of Jose's Magical Power and looked on cautiously. "I take it you cannot feel his Magic Power? If that's the case then your confusion is understanable, because Jose still has a lot of Magic Energy left though not nearly as much as he did earlier after he used that dark Spell." She informed him and Rex paled in horror from the thought of Jose getting started.

"Miss Titania is quite correct. Without Makarov, you're as good as dead!" Jose grinned manically and began charging up a Spell. "**Dead Wave!**" He shouted and unleashed a powerful purple beam that split the ground beneath him. However Rex used Psychic to divert the attack upwards and it soared into space, it was also noticed by the other Guild members waiting anxiously.

"**Dark Blitz!**" Jose cried and formed a purple orb with a dark center once more. Then multiple purple orbs fired from the larger one, and the pair of them began avoiding the attack. Erza used her Black Wing Sword to deflect those she couldn't avoid and Rex diverted them with Psychic, then ran with Extreme Speed to run in between the rest. Rex saw that when running faster than normal it was like a slow motion shot.

He began pushing the nearest bunch away with the palm of his hand, but Rex felt it biting into his skin and opted for a different approach by conjuring up a pink blade and pushing them aside. Once those and the ones further way were safely out of harms way he suddenly (in real time) appeared behind Jose and swung across his back, breaking the Wizard Saints concentration.

Jose quickly turned as he used Dark Pulse to create a series of explosions, and suddenly felt a powerful pressure attack his mind - which was Rex using Psychic to attack his mind, using the Mind Plate to make his attack stronger. "Grr... Enough games!" He shouted as he began charging up a Dead Wave spell in his hand.

"How about a mind game? Ability Change: Mega Launcher." Rex offered, a cocky grin on his face as he began to charge up an Aura Sphere but then it suddenly dissipated when it was almost complete. Rex thought it was odd and began to charge it up again but it failed to form again and this time he was suddenly concerned. If he couldn't form any special attacks then does that mean..?

"Um... Erza, I think I'm in trouble..." Rex trailed off and tried focusing by using Psychic but nothing happened. "CRAP!" He shouted as Jose finished charging his Dead Wave and fired it at Rex, but Erza jumped in front of him and tried deflecting it but they were both pushed back into the wall and there was another explosion. Rex got up slowly and tried to do another attack but realised that for the first time he had spent all of his energy.

"Are you OK?" Erza asked, sensing his distress.

"Sorry Erza, but you're on your own now. Let me just do one more thing first." Rex added before a baton appeared in his hand and he held it out to her. "Any and all stat changes will be passed onto you if you take this. You should." He advised with a weak smile before Erza took it and felt her strength and speed increase slightly.

"Thank you Rex." She said.

"Now go and beat Jose. I believe in you." He replied before lying on the floor and using Rest to begin healing himself.

Erza nodded before turning to face Jose with a scowl on her face. Then she Requipped into her Heaven's Wheel Armour and summoned twin blades, one in each hand. "I'm shocked at how you could just do such a thing like that Jose, using what I'm guessing is a forbidden Spell. How could you?" She demanded of the Guildmaster and Jose smirked.

"One down, and one to go. Titania Erza, I have my sources. Not that it matters, what matters it that you will go down and suffer in front of your Master Makarov!" Jose replied, grinning madly as he used Dark Pulse again and Erza jumped and glided in the air to avoid being struck by his Magic. Jose then appeared in front of Erza and punched her, but the Fairy Queen saw him and countered with one of her swords by striking upwards and then blocked several more blows.

"Dance my blades, **Circle Sword!**" Erza chanted as she summoned a ring of swords and sent them spinning at Jose who blocked it with his arms, and Erza followed her attack up by jumping at him and swinging several times at the Wizard Saint who grunted under the blows, and then Erza noticed his burn acting up and realised that she forgot to ask Rex about but she pushed that to the back of her mind and concentrated on Jose.

His grin was larger than before and Erza saw the rows of impeccably shiny white teeth, which was not out of place despite the damage that Jose had suffered. "Why do you still persist in this fruitless endeavour? Isn't it easier to give up under all that pressure?" Jose asked.

Erza ground her teeth as if she swallowed something unpleasant. "Because to do so would be betraying the guild. We all work together, laugh together and have a good time together. None of us would give up without a second thought, even if it means dying in battle. That is a greater alternative to acting like cowards, wouldn't you say?" She shot back, still not smiling.

Jose looked angry. "That's the exact same thing he said, and it sickens me how people like you would cling to such a foolish ideal. You should all just disappear under stronger powers!" He shouted and unleashed the power of his Dead Wave again at Erza who jumped up and dodged it in time. Jose appeared in front of Erza and punched her down onto the floor, but managed to land without falling over and she quickly placed both swords crossed above her head.

Erza ran forwards and summoned an extra three swords. "**Pentagram Sword!**" She cried as they all attacked in a five star pattern and it drew some blood from where it cut Jose's skin. Then she heard her swords shatter unexpectedly and she looked at Jose in alarm.

"I'm surprised at how fast you reacted to some of my attacks Titania Erza, however that is also the same rate at which your friend over there reacted so I can predict where you're going to strike from, and I also believe that he is stronger than you." Jose guessed and Erza wasn't sure whether to feel complimented, surprised or angry.

"Even if I am not as strong that doesn't mean I won't be able to defeat you!" Erza declared, readying her swords and they charged at each other, Jose with Magic enhanced fists and traded several blows. Jose lunged as Erza but she parried the fist away and struck quickly at his side, but Jose didn't care for that. All he wanted was to see Fairy Tail defeated and Makarov broken.

As they continued to trade blows Jose unexpectedly punched Erza in the head which caused her to drop her swords and he threw two more punches, damaging her Heaven's Wheel Armour badly. Jose then threw her against a wall and Erza grunted as she felt the impact of it but stood back up after a few moments, only to see a purple Seal appear in front of Jose as he used his Shade Entangle Spell again and she cried out in pain.

"Don't start struggling Titania, there would be far less time with you that I would enjoy." Jose advised and began laughing uncontrollably as Erza felt her bonds tighten. "I'll tell you something that I also told your friend. I started this war out of pure spite, I only wanted to ensure that Phantom Lord was the strongest Guild in Fiore!" Jose declared and started to laugh again, which was making Erza mad.

"You... you..." She began in uncontrollable rage but it quickly became screams of pain as they tightened their grip and she tried to hold on as much as possible.

"Don't die on me now Titania, just before you do I want to let Fairy Tail know of the two greatest failures of your Guild in their pathetic attempt to stop me. That will ultimately seal my victory when I'm the greatest Guildmaster!" Jose bellowed triumphantly, ignoring the fact that it was clouding over.

Erza realised that she was now a liability to Fairy Tail and she began using Telekinesis to lift up on her of swords. At first it clattered on the floor a bit but eventually it lifted into the air and she moved it behind her when Jose was still gloating. Unfortunately for her, Rex woke up at that time as well and rubbed his eyes to clear his vision and only realised that she was going to kill herself when she said, "My apologies Master, Natsu, Fairy Tail... Rex. I did the best I could, but I cannot be allowed to stay in Jose's hands." And he saw the sword slowly go towards her back.

Rex shot up suddenly and began running towards it when all of a sudden there was a flash of white light coming from the clouds and he shielded his eyes. He opened them a smidgeon and gasped when he saw the figure of a small man floating above a pile of rubble, and there was a wave of Magic that dissolved her chains and reformed her broken armour. Floating in the air above the pile of rubble was none other than Master Makarov, eyes wide open and looking mad but calm at the same time.

"You have done much for this Guild Rex Vermend, and for that I personally thank you." Makarov said in a calm voice and Rex could hear the praise, but see the anger in his eyes.

"M-Master." Erza stated simply and she dropped to the floor before getting back up and walking slowly over to Rex, who both said nothing in light of his overwhelming presence.

Once Makarov was satisfied the pair of them were safe he turned back to face Jose, who was smiling slyly at the heartwarming scene. Though he was annoyed that he was robbed of his two prey, Jose was thrilled by the prospect of fighting Makarov. "Too much blood had been split between the two Guilds, and that is the fault of the parents as well as the children. This has gone far enough Jose - and it is time I finished this." The Fairy Tail Guildmaster said factually.

That amused Jose who responded by saying, "Are you really sure about this Makarov? Do you want to be the person to start a catastrophe?" He asked.

"If it is for the sake of the children, then I will do so without hesitation." Makarov replied as a golden light appeared in his hand and Jose gathered some of his Darkness Magic. "The two of you must leave. I will take care of things here." He requested. The pair of them could feel the tension between the two Guildmasters.

Rex looked as if he was about to argue but Erza laid a hand on his shoulder. "No, we have to do as he says, we will only be in his way." She added and Rex gave in. Now that he was (mostly) healed he switched to the Sky Plate and began flying with Erza carried on his back and he felt the warmth of her body on him.

* * *

Elsewhere, Porlyuscia felt the power that both Makarov and Jose were exerting and she opened the door, broom in hand. She was silent for a few moments before becoming comically angry. "WHY IS IT THAT THESE HUMANS ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO SOLVE THESE THINGS BY FIGHTING? ESPECIALLY THAT FOOL, MAKAROV!" She asked of no one in particular and pretended to hit an invisible Makarov several times before calming down. During that time, Porlyuscia had also knocked over a few crates that contained apples in them.

It was then that she noticed Mystogan observing her quietly. "And what were you doing whilst the rest of the Guild were fighting Phantom Lord? You only dropped in on them briefly." Porlyuscia asked tersely.

Mystogan ignored that question and asked one of his own. "Can I have an apple?" He asked, despite already taking one and eating it without removing his mask. A number of flags bearing Phantom Lords Guild Mark appeared, flapping in the wind and a few landed at her feet.

Porlyuscia realised that Mystogan was responsible for returning Makarov's power back to him whilst simultaneously defeating the many sub divisions of Phantom Lord. She said nothing and looked on in amazement.

Mystogan followed it up with another question. "Can I take another apple?"

Porlyuscia ignored it and began muttering thoughts out loud. "What is it that drives men to do such despicable acts and retaliate in anger? When they become angry they lose their humanity." She said with a sigh.

"I don't think that's it." Mystogan disagreed. "It's not so much as feelings alone, but rather what one does with those feelings, whether it is being guided by the light or not." Then he vanishes into thin air.

* * *

Back at the Phantom Lord, Jose was making small talk with Makarov. "It's been six years since our last fight, Makarov. I'm impressed by Fairy Tail in those six years, it's grown from the small Guild that it once was. But now Fairy Tail is nothing more than a pile of rubble." He said with a smirk.

"A Guild is not made up by its building, rather by it's members." Makarov replied and the aura coming off the two of them began to intensify rapidly.

Jose brushed it off by saying, "It would be interesting to see a battle between two wizard Saints." He commented before they pushed at each other with their aura, destroying some of what was left of the Giant Phantom Mark II.

Jose then fired several Shades at Makarov but Fairy Tail's Master retaliated with a wave of Light Magic that sent out a shockwave when it collided with the Shades. "It'll be fun to see you squirm! **Dead Wave!**" Jose roared as he gathered his ghosts into one hand and fired at Makarov.

The other Guildmaster stood his ground however and protected himself with a triangle of Light Magic, having appeared to negate the damage completely. "Your power for one as young as young as you Jose is something to be proud of, I can see why you were given the title of Wizard Saint. You could have been a great role model for the younger generation of Wizards." Makarov said.

Jose chuckled. "Are you preaching to me?"

Makarov began to draw his hands together and a golden light began gathering in the space between them. "In accordance with the Fairy Tail code of conduct, I am giving you three seconds to kneel before me." He replied and began to enlarge himself with his Titan Magic.

"What? You must be joking to even think that I would kneel to someone like you!" Jose shouted in outrage and jeered at Makarov.

"One!" Makarov chanted, and the golden light intensified.

"We must be on equal footing at least. If not then I would be stronger than you for sure Makarov!" Jose exclaimed as he began laughing at the idea.

"Two!" The ground around Makarov began to shake.

"You can take that offer back, because there is absolutely no way in hell that I would ever submit to an inferior Guild like Fairy Tail!" Jose shouted in defiance and he began gathering his Darkness Magic in his hand.

"Three!" Makarov finished as Jose fired at him. He then clasped his hands together and finished the Spell. "I invoke... **Fairy Law.**" There was golden being scattered everywhere and surrounding everything. Jose's attack disintegrated in the light and the Wizard Saint himself look unperturbed by it.

In the sky, a gigantic Golden Seal appeared with the Fairy Tail emblem in the center of it and it began encompassing the remains of the Super Giant Mage Phantom Mark II. Rex gulped as he thought he saw it getting closer. "Please tell me that's a good thing." He said and took a step back out of instinct.

Erza however smiled in recognition. "This is one of the Master's Spells. It is called Fairy Law, and it's a Spell that destroys darkness, along with all those whom the caster deems their enemy." She explained and Rex wasn't the only one to pick up on it and there was a collective sigh of relief.

When the Spell faded, the clouds cleared to reveal a defeated Jose who now had white hair and wrinkles all over his face. It displayed at shocked expression, having lost his arrogant, malevolent facade when he realised that there was no way to fight Fairy Law. Makarov on the other hand was now looking and acting completely normal. "Your brashness has got the better of you Jose, so I hope the Council are feeling in a good mood." Makarov pointed out and he began leaving.

Seemingly unbeknownst to him however, Aria appeared out of thin air with a gleefully hungry expression. _Master Jose is down, but he has left himself wide open and history will repeat itself!_ Aria thought triumphantly.

That triumph vanished when Makariov defeated him in one hit with a Titan enhanced fist. "You should learn to quit while you're ahead, son. This war is over." Makarov declared.

Elsewhere, Gajeel, Natsu and Gallade were recovering from their battle, and Gallade was faring better than the other two at least he could stand up and move. The pair of Dragon Slayers panted as they slowly recovered before Natsu asked Gajeel a question. "How did you learn your Dragon Slayer Magic?" He asked.

Gajeel considered a snappy retort but decided otherwise as it wasn't the best thing to do seeing as Phantom Lord was beat. "Hmpf, I was taught by the Iron Dragon, Metalicana. Then one day he suddenly left without warning and I've been looking for him since." He disclosed, pretending not to care.

Natsu turned his head slightly and winced in pain. "Was it on the 7th July X777?" He asked.

Gajeel turned his head slightly too and ground his teeth in pain. "You know where he may be?" The black haired Wizard asked, and Gallade could hear the hope in his voice.

"No. It's just that Igneel went missing on that day too and I've been looking for him. I wonder though, what was with all the sevens?" Natsu frowned, trying to work it out.

Gajeel snickered. "Careful Salamander, if you think too hard your brain will short circuit." He said and Natsu fell for it.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean Gajeel? You know very well I kicked your ass!" Natsu retorted quickly and that somehow fired them up again.

"No way, it was unfair! It wasn't one on one, that 'victory' is null and void!" Gajeel snapped and they suddenly began straining in an effort to move.

They were both going to bicker some more until Gallade had had enough of it and then promptly jabbed both Gajeel and Natsu in the stomach. The two Dragon Slayers then cried out in pain and Gallade tutted. "You're both a bunch of babies. Can't you see that I won?" Gallade asked with a smile on his face.

"Yeah right!" Natsu and Gajeel replied in unison before glaring at each other. The Guild War was over, with Fairy Tail the victors.

* * *

**Two days later...**

The immediate aftermath of the fight was a blur to the Mages and Guardian involved. At first there was a celebration in the basement of the Guild, which had been mercifully spared from the massive damage inflicted during the war. They decided to celebrate by having a party which concluded with everyone old enough to drink getting drunk, except for Cana for obvious reasons. Rex came off worst as after drinking himself unconscious he began urinating on a table which was then followed up joining Elfman, Gray and Macao in a round of awful singing. Luckily for them (or not), Erza was one of the few not drinking and managed to settle them with a few prompt words.

Lucy before the celebrations began went up to Makarov and tried apologising for what she felt she had done and the Master disagreed by saying that she was a part of the Guild which was one large family and that they would never blame her. Lucy's response was to break down in tears, and Makarov would join her once he realised what the Council would do once they saw all the damage.

The following day was spent clearing up the rubble despite the distinct smell of alcohol from the previous night and no one made a comment about it. Rex had to spend most of the day recovering from a killer hangover that forced him to stay in bed, though Gardevoir used some of the money he had earned from his winning fight against Natsu to buy him some coffee and help him concentrate. Once he finally recovered which was about 8 in the evening he decided to work a night shift to help up with the remaining wreckage and help with some of the deliveries of the new material for the next Guild Hall, which for some reason involved a lot of bricks.

During the morning Rex noticed something really odd. Lucy wasn't there, and no one had seen her since the party. He turned and felt his head throb, and Rex quickly put a hand to it. Whilst his hangover may have gone it still felt like there was a drummer playing in his head and certain movements upset it. "Uggh, guys? Have you noticed something?" Rex asked, slurring his words a little.

"Yeah, your still not thinking straight after your 'performance' with the alcohol." Happy replied before trying to stop himself from laughing and a few chuckles managed to escape his mouth.

Erza promptly stepped behind him. "And there is something funny about that?" She inquired, death glaring at Happy.

Happy shook his head quickly. "N-no Erza not at all!" He replied, scared.

Rex looked offended, but didn't have the heart to strike him. "That isn't what I mean. I mean, has anyone seen Lucy recently? Last time I saw her it was at the party and she was talking to Makarov, or was it Macao? Regardless, I wonder if she's okay." He pointed out as he sat down on a pile of bricks and winced as he felt his head throb

Erza smiled as she walked over to help him. "I wouldn't be worried Rex. She might just be relaxing in her apartment to try and recover from what just happened with Phantom Lord and all." She assured him and put and armoured hand on his head.

Gray came over and made a suggestion. "Even so, we should check on her right? To see if she's okay and all that."

Erza looked up at him, before nodding slowly. "We'll go and check on her apartment as soon as you put a shirt on Gray." She replied as Gray was topless again.

Gray frowned before looking down. "Ah crap!" He cried out and hurried to find his white coat.

When he was ready, Team Natsu + Rex walked quickly to her apartment and then knocked on the door after Erza threatened to hurt anyone who broke in. After two minutes though there was no response and they tried again. Five minutes later when there was still no reply they all began to get a little suspicious and Rex decided to push firmly on the door and all five of them were surprised to see that it was open.

"Okay, maybe she forgot to lock the door?" Rex asked, putting on an optimistic face.

Erza took command. "Right, Rex and I will take the upstairs rooms whilst you three look for any signs of Liucy downstairs." She ordered.

"Why do I have to work with this creepy guy here?" Natsu and Gray challenged in unison, pointing at each other. They were then aware of what the other one was doing and glared fiercely at each other.

Erza smacked them hard on the heads. "Is there a problem?" She asked calmly, glaring at them fiercely.

"N-no not at all in fact we were just about to search downstairs right?" They both continued in unspison before rushing into the house followed shortly by Happy.

Rex signed in resignation, amazed that they were able to have a go at each other in spite of the recent Guild War with Phantom Lord but Rex didn't dwell on it too much. What did worry Rex was the Spell Jose used during their fight, because it felt even more unnatural than Jose's normal Spells. Somehow the Wizard Saint learnt it and Rex had a nasty feeling it was meant specifically for him.

He didn't dwell on it too much though as they began searching upstairs for any clues as to where Lucy might be. After trying the obvious rooms Rex decided to look through the study room upstairs and began looking through the drawers until he came across what appeared to be a bunch of stamped letters.

Erza came through, having apparently dragged Natsu and Gray with her as well and both having another bump on their head. Happy also had a bump on the head after teasing Erza about how much she liked Rex and was choosing to remain silent. "The boys haven't seen anything downstairs, what about here?" She asked him.

"No sign of Lucy here, but strangely enough she hasn't sent them. It's got the address for what I guess is the Heartfilia Konzern it but..." Rex paused to think about it for a moment before deciding to go ahead anyway and open the letter. It was a small sheet of paper but there was plenty of detail written on it.

_Dear Mom_

_Like I said, I'd promise to write to you and tell you everything that happened since I started. It was a really weird past few days, because not only have I encountered someone from the Fairy Tail who is kinda scary but a bit of an idiot at the same time but there's another man who is even stranger and more unbelievable. _

_Get this. He is not even from this world! I know, it sounds bizarre, but trust me I'm not lying on this one! Rex Vermend (that's his full name) can essentially use Magic, but it isn't Magic and he come from a world filled with creatures know as Pokemon and he even showed us his team. I can't remember any names of the top of my head but once I remember them I will make sure to tell you._

_The other guy is called Natsu and is accompanied by a talking cat known as Happy. He can use Dragon Slayer Magic, though he hates any and all forms of transport bar Happy who can carry him when flying. I also met many of the other crazy members of Fairy Tail as well. For instance, there is one person called Gray who keeps stripping for no apparent reason and another really tall man called Elfman who keeps on shouting about being a real man. That is kinda awkward for us girls, don't you think?_

_Anyway, Rex showed us the Pokemon he had on hand with him. They included a large hawk like bird (Braviary it's called), a stealthy blue frog (Greninja) and a large blue dragon called Garchomp! They come in all shapes and sizes because Garchomp looks as tall as Elfman, and that's saying something! Well anyway I gotta go now because I hear Natsu and Happy at the door, and they sound impatient. Hope father is safe and sound, and tell me if he is mad at me or whatever, okay mom? _

_Love Lucy_

They had all listened as Rex read out the letter and there was a rather awkward silence that followed as he put it down and for a moment nobody said anything and then Natsu broke the silence. "Why doesn't she send any of them to her mother?" He asked, confused.

"That's what I don't get Natsu. Maybe if we tried looking for another letter, more recent." Rex suggested and spied the letter that appeared half written. It was describing what had happened during the Phantom Lord Guild War starting with how it started and ending with her saying that she would come home.

"Hey! This letter is about our time when we teamed up with Erza!" Natsu grinned as he held up another sheet of paper and began waving it in the air.

"This one is about our escape to Galuna Island, and she says that she completely misunderstood me!" Gray noted with some surprise. Erza was reading that one over his shoulder and she was surprised too, though it didn't show as much as his.

Rex dropped the paper and gasped, causing everyone to look suddenly towards him. "I think I know where Lucy may have gone to. The Heartfilia Konzern." He said with surprise and they all immediately set out from the apartment to Magnolia Train Station. There was another reason that Rex was shocked as well, but he didn't tell them about it until they were actually there to confirm his idea.

* * *

**Heartfilia Konzern - With Lucy**

The Konzern's headquarters was the Heartfilia Residence, a large mansion housing Jude Heartfilia and his family. The building sat in a vast, grassy plain, crossed by a series of roads, with some buildings being placed here and there near them. Such plot of land, which appeared to be roughly the size of Magnolia Town and that was just the gardens as their land extended to some of the mountains seen in the background.

The Heartfilia Residence appears to consists of two separate buildings, placed near a group of smaller constructions and linked together by a garden, with the front one acting as an entry of sort for the one sitting behind it. Only this first building has been clearly shown: it seems to consists of a main structure flanked by two minor wings protruding upwards, creating a square space before the entrance itself, which sits in the center of the facade, being flanked by two slender cylindrical towers with pointed tiled roofs, their walls adorned by elongated, hollow windows with arched tops.

Lucy felt nervous coming back here, as she hadn't been hear for a while and wasn't surprised to see that it hadn't changed that much since she left and was feeling unsure of how to feel. She had lived there with her mother and father, the latter of whom was called Jude Heartfilia. She remembered her father as stern, hard working man who made sure that the Heartfilia Konzern continued growing and never gave up.

However the idea to keep the Heartfilia Konzern became profitable became an obsession following her mother Layla Heartfilia's death due to an unknown illness and Jude Heartfilia focusing more on his work than her well being. Lucy recalled a particular painful memory of when she made a riceball for her father, who rejected it and snapped at her for disturbing him. Lucy cried for several days afterwards, in spite of her servants attempts to cheer her up.

Lucy stopped remembering as soon as she saw someone familiar out working in the garden. "Hey Spetto!" She called out.

Spetto is a short, middle-aged woman with a square-shaped face. She has long, dark purple hair tied in a ponytail behind her head and black eyes.

Being a maid, her attire is that of the profession she practices, consisting of a long, green dress with pink-colored sleeves with golden edges, complete with larger cuffs, an apron tied around her waist, a small mantle covering her shoulders and simple shoes. In addition, she also has a classical maid hat on her head.

When she heard that voice, Spetto stopped suddenly and turned to face her. There was a short period of silence before she rushed towards Lucy and embraced her tightly. "Oh my stars, it really is you Lucy! I've missed you so much!" She cried before letting go to blow into a tissue.

Lucy chuckled. "It's good to see you too Spetto." She replied and then Spetto raced back to the Heartfilia Residence.

"Hey everyone! Lucy is back!" She shouted into the mansion.

Almost immediately a number of other servants rushed out to greet her as well with much enthusiasm and happiness. They included Ribbon the librarian, Bero who taught Lucy how to use Celestial Spirit Magic, Aed the chef as well as a number of maids and guards. Everyone who came out to greet her really did like her and then one of the servants broke the fairly happy mood.

"Um, Miss Lucy... your father wants to see you." She said in a quiet nervous voice and the celebrations died down.

Lucy nodded wordlessly in reply and after several minutes she changed her clothes into an extravagant red dress that she used to wear before she abruptly left and took a while to inspect it. She was surprised at how long it had been since she last wore one of these and took several deep breaths before entering.

Jude is a relatively tall middle-aged man with black eyes and slicked back blond hair and a matching, extremely trim mustache, and a rather firm, square jaw. The man's hair is kept extremely neat and trim, and he wore a smart brown suit. "I must admit Lucy I'm surprised to see you here, so I take it that you've finally decided to grow up and come back here after your unannounced departure?" Jude asked sternly.

What neither of them knew was that the main servants - Spetto, Bero, Aed and Ribbon were eavesdropping on their conversation but that was the least of their problems. Lucy nodded.

Jude smiled, satisfied. "Finally you are beginning to see some sense. And just in time too, because I want to inform you of your arranged marriage with Duke Sawarr Jurelle. This will also help my company as it will merge with his and then we can-"

Lucy however cut him off sharply. "Hold it, Dad!" She said and the servants outside began to chatter nervously. "I didn't come here to get married to some guy I barely know, I came here to give you my resolution. I'm going to search for my own happiness my own way with my own friends at Fairy Tail. So don't ever touch them again or you will be considered an enemy of Fairy Tail, and some of the friends I have made at the Guild are much more understanding than you could ever hope to be!" After finishing that sentence Lucy tore the upper part of her dress and Jude gasped in shock. "I don't need any of this. Fancy dresses, large rooms and many maids to help me with my work - this sort of life just doesn't suit me and I'm sure that mother would agree with me as well! I don't want to be simply known as Lucky Lucy Heartfilia because of my wealth and I will no longer be, from now on I'm just Lucy to my friends and family at Fairy Tail." As if to prove it she showed Jude her Guild Mark. "Leaving this place, where I grew up with my mom and my servants will be tough, but if she were still alive I'm sure she would let me do what is right." She admitted and the servants outside began crying in happiness at those words.

Lucy didn't wait for a reply and she stormed out, unaware that the door hit the eavesdropping servants and by the time she had changed back and gone outside the sun was setting and it would soon be night time. She decided to pay her mother one last visit before she would leave her home forever. The cemetery contained many graves for the employees but there was a monument dedicated to Layla Heartfilia X748-X777, and it was beneath a stone angelic figure.

As Lucy was looking up at it she heard shouting and turned round to be surprised by seeing Natsu, Gray, Happy, Erza and Rex running towards her. "What are you guys doing here?!" She cried out in shock. Jude Heartfilia watched quietly from the window.

"Looking for you, what else Luce?" Natsu replied, offended by the fact that Lucy apparently didn't like him.

"And in the process we broke into your house as well. But we did it because we were worried about you Lucy!" Rex added rather sheepishly as he looked at the floor, but he didn't miss the fact a man, presumably her father, was watching from a first floor window.

"You broke into my house?!" Lucy shouted, not happy about that fact.

"But we missed you Lucy! The previous time we saw you was when I was carrying you away from the Phantom Guild!" Happy added, and he appeared to be on the verge of tears.

Lucy saw that as well and realised that she had been a bit too harsh on him lately and she decided to hug him. "Don't cry you stupid cat, when we'll get back to Magnolia Town I'll buy you a big fish." She promised. That cheered Happy up as he suddenly became hopeful and happy again.

Gray meanwhile was looking around at the place. "Wow Lucy, this place is huge. I thought it was a city." He admitted.

Erza nodded in agreement. "Yes, it certainly is very impressive for a small city." She added.

Lucy began sweating nervously. "All of this is only the garden of the Heartfilia Residence. The land owned by them (and to a certain extent me) stretches much further than that. To those mountains in the background." She added, pointing to them.

Natsu and Gray's jaw dropped, and Erza's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Happy was so shocked he forgot how to fly and fell on the floor. Even Rex was surprised by the enormity of the place. "Is this place as large as the Capital of Fiore?" He said out loud. If it was then it made him wonder just how big the actual country was. Then he looked back at Jude Heartfilia, looking calmly into his eyes. Jude was experiencing a number of different emotions and was unsure of how to deal with this, but Rex noted the slight fear of making Fairy Tail an enemy, especially after considering how they defeated Phantom Lord.

Rex stopped this line of thought when he heard their voices calling out to him. "I'll catch up with you!" He said loudly and turned to the statue and gravestone underneath for Layla Heartfilia. _X777? Wait a sec... Didn't Gallade tell me that Natsu and Gajeel's dragons both vanished on the 7th of July that year? So is this a coincidence?_ Rex thought for a moment before running to catch up with Team Natsu.

**Oh wow, the fight with Jose took up two thirds of this chapter... And in 3 days I managed to write around 7200 words. Though I doubt I could write a whole chapter in one day. Maybe if a wrote around 3000 words a day I could probably finish it in 4-5 days. Enough rambling!**

**Next Time on Guardian Fairy - Rex vs Erza!**


	14. Rex vs Erza

**Insane Dominator: I'll clear up a few things. First off Jose didn't shut it off completely, but rather indirectly. The Nightmare Reset Bomb he used was a very strong attack that dealt a lot of damage, and were it not for the Mind Plate it would've probably killed him. Rex simply ran out of energy. Secondly, that story about torture is something minor that happened in comparison to a MAJOR event that happened. This happened after his parents death though. Secondly, if your referring to Jellal or the character I added into the previous chapter I know exactly what to do with Jellal and as for the other guy, well he will feature in a future arc or two.**

**Previously on Guardian Fairy - **

**Rex:** I nearly got myself killed Father, and I doubt Palkia and Dialga are impressed. I'm really sorry though because Jose was one tough person to beat and after a really deadly attack (and earning the Mind Plate) I used all my energy but on the plus side I can use Abilities! Though this is not before Erza jumped in and saved me. I used all my energy then and Baton Passed my stat changes onto her but she didn't last long and nearly tried to commit suicide!

Needless to say I felt my heart stop..? Am I falling in love with her?! Anyway Master Makarov of all people saved Erza and we left before he unleashed one of his most powerful Spells, Fairy Law. It eradicates all that the caster see as his enemy. I wonder what would happen if that was unleashed in the Pokemon World - would dark and ghost types be defeated. Two days later Lucy left for her home but it turns out she talked to her father and told him to back off. Go Lucy!

* * *

**Chapter 14: Rex vs Erza**

It had been almost a day since Lucy temporarily left to tell her father Jude Heartfilia why she had left and what would happen if he persisted and the main focus was on repairing the Guild but some members still went on jobs. Rex and his pokemon were a few of the unlucky ones as his strength was vital to the construction of the new Fairy Tail Guild Hall. He used Strength to lift one of the heavy stones and set it down on one of the new walls. "Why are you starting over Master instead of rebuilding the Guild?" He asked Makarov.

The Guildmaster turned to him, having instructed Natsu and Gray on what to do. "Because it's easier to do it this way and start over, which allows me to make some changes that were necessary over time." He admitted before saying in a riled up tone, "Now get building!"

"Sheesh, you save one Guild and this is how they treat you." Rex grumbled, feel unappreciated as he went out of the guild to get the next lot of stone. Instead of using his physical strength, he used Psychic this time to lift himself and the stone over the wall. Seeing the Guild being rebuilt from a distance was kinda funny as it had previously dominated the Magnolia view and the only other building to do so was Kardia Cathedral.

"Aggron could you help me with this? Since you seem to have some spare time you can help me with this construction." Rex requested and Aggron kept an inwards sigh to himself as he went over and passed one of the stones with relative ease and Rex, using Strength again, heaved it onto the corner.

Elsewhere, Gallade was cutting up round slabs of concrete. He used Swords Dance once before starting and was cutting neat sections equally side. When he was finished there were a dozen that were set to be stacked and cemented on top of each other like a pillar.

Mirajane came over, impressed with his work. "I have to admit Gallade that I'm surprised by your physical strength." She noted and Gallade felt himself flushing with pride.

"Is it because of my looks Mira-chan? Because if so then it's partly down to cutting it at the right angle and the fact that these sword arms if you want to call it that are surprisingly sharp. I managed to cut through Gajeel-san's armour with them." Gallade said, pretending not to brag about them as he showed his fully extended arms to Mirajane.

"How can you extend and retract them though?" Mirajane asked, really wanting to know.

"Hmm. That I have no idea of. We just can do it." Gallade shrugged. Mirajane looked disappointed but decided not to bother him any more because she didn't think he was lying.

Meanwhile Rex was studying the plans for the new Guild Hall and noticed something weird. "These plans are drawn in crayon. It certainly makes the design colourful." He added when he saw Mirajane looking at him with a smile that dared him to criticise her plans, but knowing what she used to be Rex decided it was best not to do otherwise in fear of his good health.

That fear stopped him from stopping Gray who picked up the plans and began looking at it. "What's up with these plans? I honestly think they're the worst drawings ever." He said, without knowing that it was Mirajane who had drawn them. She suddenly began crying and Gray ran over to her quickly. "I'm sorry Mira I didn't think it was you who had drawn those plans and besides I think they're fine!" He began saying in a really hasty and nervous tone.

But it was too late, the damage had been done and Mirajane was in tears. Elfman made a move towards Gray but a pissed off Natsu beat him to the punch literally - straight into a wall. "Look at what you've done you bastard you made Mira cry!" Natsu shouted.

Had Elfman done it then Gray would have taken it like a man but because it was Natsu he naturally got pissed and punched him back in retaliation. "Idiot, I already apologised to her what's the big deal with punching me?" Gray protested vehemently.

"That was because you were insensitive to her feelings you prick!" A fired up Natsu shouted back.

"What the hell do you know about feelings flame brain? All you feel is hungry." Gray retorted as an icy aura began surrounding him.

"Oh yeah? WELL RIGHT NOW ALL I FEEL IS HUNGRY TO PUNCH YOUR STUPID FACE IN, STRIPPER!" Natsu shouted and his fist was blazing.

Gray made a two handed gesture and crouched. "BRING IT ON THEN!" He challenged.

However neither of them was going to make a move on each other because Erza ran over and began to glare at them both fiercely. "You two are NOT going to fight!" She ordered, stressing the word not. "Because if you do you will set back the construction of the Guild by a week at least. Have I made myself clear?" She added darkly and then hit them with a normal fist, leaving a lump on their heads. Erza was currently wearing a builders outfit on her and a yellow hat.

"She seems in a good mood today." Cana said sardonically.

"Erza looks really into this whole building business though." Greninja added as he sat down cross legged next to her atop a barrel of wine. His light weight meant that he wasn't going to fall in anytime soon, much to the relief of Fairy Tail's strongest drinker.

Outside the Guild unknown to any of them, Juvia Lockser the former member of Phantom's Element Four was watching the group doing the reconstruction. In particular she had come to watch her darling Gray who was being scolded along with Natsu by Erza. "My poor darling Gray, I know that you meant no disrespect and would gladly assist you in anyway possible but I'm not a member of Fairy Tail. How cruel must fate be!" She sniffed and began crying, unintentionally making it cloud over but she regained control of her emotions shortly.

"But not to worry Gray as I have prepared for you an extra special lunch of my own making and I hope that you embrace it with your heart as you will one day embrace me!" Juvia said, blushing as she began having one of her fantasies about Gray finding the lunch box, then seeing her and ending up admitting his love for her.

That dream promptly shattered when she saw a hulking blue dragon walk over to the pink lunch box and pick it up, puzzling over what it could be. "What is this... a lunch box?" Garchomp said uncertainly as she began sniffing the air around the pink box. After deciding that it wasn't something to be worried about she opened it with one of her claws and the lid clattered onto the floor.

Inside the lunch box was an array of cooked vegetables along with some meat, but the thing that stood out was that some of it looked like Gray's head and that was what puzzled Garchomp. She wondered if whoever sent this had a crush on the ice wizard and then realised that she felt hungry. "Get a load of this Natsu." She called him over.

Natsu was currently competing with Gray to see who could move the most logs and he stopped upon hearing his name and went over to see what was going on.

"Take a look at this." Garchomp said and she lowered it for him to see.

Gray also went over to see what was going on and then was shocked to see that someone had made his face out of food, then he paled considerably in embarrassment. Natsu however began to laugh out loud as it dawned on him that it was for Gray, and felt his stomach rumble as he realised that it was lunch. "Man I'm actually kinda hungry now." He said and grinned.

"Whatever you do don't eat me!" Gray added hastily in attempt to stop Natsu but then cried out in horror as he saw Natsu take the fork and began eating some of the lunch, predictably aiming for his face.

The pink haired Mage then suddenly stopped and choked on his food as Erza noticed that they were slaking off and came over without the three of them noticing. "What are you doing, dilly dallying like there's nothing to do?" She asked piercingly and then noticed the lunch box. "Well someone seems to like you Gray."

Gray just stood there, paling at the thought of someone having a crush on him. "Do you think it's Lucy?" Natsu guessed and Garchomp facepalmed with his fin.

"I highly doubt it Natsu, I think it's more likely she is in love with you. " Garchomp disagreed and joked as she used her claw to pick up a piece of meat that was spelling out Gray and she downed it in one bite. The raven haired Mage just stood there unable to speak or comprehend why they would do it.

"What? That's absolutely ridiculous Garchomp." Natsu retorted and then jumped forwards to attack but Erza brought a fist to his head and stopped him from attacking the large blue dragon.

"That comment was just a joke Natsu, is there a problem with that?" Erza added coolly and she glared hard at them. Natsu shrunk back and hugged Gray, both pretending to be friends again. The pair of them watched as they began hurrying back to their work and she noticed Garchomp with a grin on her face.

"So what's this about you having feelings for Rex that I keep hearing about?" Garchomp smirked and moved in time to block a blow from the S-Class wizard and was pushed back several feet.

Juvia was the one who came off the worst from this ordeal as not only had Gray not eaten the special lunch prepared by her, but other people had eaten it as well and she slumped in misery with her soul floating in the air above her. "My darling Gray..." She said before crying and running away. Garchomp turned and thought that she had heard someone speak but decided not to investigate further.

As they were going back to work, Loke suddenly came into the Guild looking a little I'll as one might say. "Natsu... Gray... one of you... take this... to Lucy." He panted as he held up Lucy's Celestial Spirit Keys for them to see. "I can't hand them over myself." He admitted before giving it to the pair and running out as quickly as possible.

Rex stopped to look at the scene and began pondering. What was Loke's problem with Celestial Spirit Mages anyway? Rex then remembered the Changeling incident and that he was the one to switch bodies with Loke, and it felt weird not because Loke didn't have much Magic Power or anything related, it felt weird in the sense that it was more than human - something else that Rex just couldn't put his finger on. "He really doesn't like Celestial Wizards at all does he?" He observed to Mira.

The bartender nodded sadly. "Unfortunately, yes. Loke has antipathy for them and fears them in a way." She admitted.

Rex jumped down to ask her a question but as soon as he did a yellow Seal appeared underneath him and he found himself unable to move. "Nobody move! The Council want a word with several key members involved in the Guild War and they especially want to have another chat with this man." A Rune Knight ordered as a group of them surrounded Rex, Erza, Gray, Natsu and Makarov.

The voice belonged to a slim man with tied up and a bang down wither side of his face and he was wearing glasses. The man also wore a typical Rune Knight uniform which also included an ankh like symbol worn on a light blue high collared shirt. "I am Lahar, a Captain of the Custody Enforcement Unit. I have been ordered to take in key members but in particular one Rex Vermend for questioning." He introduced himself in a calm manner.

"What? That's totally bogus! We didn't do anything!" Natsu protested.

Makarov sighed. "Natsu this is the Council we're talking about. Just go along with it for now and have some patience. That's an order!" He added, quashing any hope of Natsu questioning his orders.

"So long as we are treated nicely I'm willing to cooperate, because otherwise there wouldn't be a force in the world that could stop me." Rex warned Lahar coolly as he put his handcuffs on.

Lahar glared at him with obvious dislike. "Making threats will not help your situation." He stated like a machine.

Rex smirked. "That wasn't a threat but a warning." He responded and Lahar gave him a look. Rex realised how stupid he sounded, especially after how he nearly died in his fight against Jose but to him Lahar sounded incredibly obnoxious and full of himself, as if he thought he knew what Rex was capable of. "Dear Arceus that sounded really stupid." He groaned at Erza once they were all on board.

Erza smiled back at him. "I think it was kinda cute to watch him squirm like that when you warned him." She admitted before realising that she had called him cute and it seemed to embarrass her for some reason.

"Are you sure you don't like me?" Rex asked teasingly.

"A-absolutely!" Erza replied tersely and Rex continued staring at her as if she were lying or something. "Okay then maybe... or probably not. I don't know!" She fretted. Even though he wasn't using the Mind Plate Rex could see the emotional struggle she was facing. Erza was definitely a friendly if stern person, though Rex did catch on to the fact that she always wore armour and the only time she hadn't was when they were all at Lucy's house.

When they arrived at the Fiore Branch of the National Council they didn't question everyone straight away. Rather they dealt with each member separately. Erza went with Natsu to keep him on a leash in case of an outburst that could jeopardise their safety and that was followed up by Gray and Elfman, which left Rex on his own to face the Council.

"Nervous about facing the Council alone?" Erza asked and she laid an armoured hand on his shoulder. Rex nodded slowly. "Then you shouldn't be as long as you remain confident in yourself and be as truthful as possible."

"That's the part I'm worried about Erza, how do you think they'll take my story about coming from another world?" Rex asked and began shaking slightly. "They might think I'm crazy and send me to a therapist for something like that!" He raised his voice, panicking slightly.

"Don't worry, as long as you keep a straight face and prove to them you are from another world things should be just fine." Erza assured him, silently acknowledging that he had a point. There was no way of knowing how they were going to react and she hoped for the best.

Rex walked up towards the courtroom and saw Siegrain using his Thought Projection again this time a more cautious look was on his face for a short time before it slipped back to his usual casual grin. "I must say Rex I didn't expect to see you here any time sooner. First time was when you destroyed the Guild Conference Hall and this time you've done so much more that the Council want to have a word with you about." He smirked.

That made Rex feel a little uneasy. "They saw what I did?" He asked carefully, pretending to be nervous.

"Not everything, but they saw and heard enough during your fight against Aria and Jose. I think it would be best if you knew that Jose was stripped of his status as a Wizard Saint." Siegrain continued in a such a careless tone that Rex could have sworn that it was fake. "I would say more but that's what the Council also want to say." The image of Siegrain flickered for a few moments and vanished.

Here's go nothing, now remain confident Rex. He thought to himself as he stepped through.

This time Rex paid much more attention to the Council as he was on his own and that he would have to reveal himself as a person from another world. Ultear predictably sat next to Siegrain and he could see Org, Michello, Belno, Yajima and all the other members of the Council present.

"Well, this is awkward." Rex said nervously and looked on at them.

"Maybe for us it is, but for you it most certainly is. You have to explain some of the things we've seen and no dodging the question this time." Org commanded and Rex felt himself quiver out of fear slightly. He knew he shouldn't fear them, but they were the ultimate authority and he decided not to lash out at anything.

"What do you mean by that?" Rex asked carefully, having a strong suspicion about what would happen next.

This time it was Belno who spoke up. "As soon as the Council heard about the Fairy Tail attack on Phantom Lord they sent Surveillance Drones to observe both Guild Members. After spending a lot of time analysing the video we saw some disturbing things about your power or apparent lack of." She added sternly and Red felt himself gulping.

A large Lacrima Screen appeared above the Council Members and between them and Rex and it showed the time with the Jupiter Cannon and they all saw Rex using Shell Smash, followed up by the Hyper Beam and Blast Burn combo that pushed the Jupiter Cannon back after a lot of struggle. It showed how the two attacks repelled the Jupiter Cannon blast back into the Cannon and they were a flash of white followed by an explosion.

It then flickered towards the ending of the fight between Rex and Aria, just before Aria removed his blindfold to reveal his magenta cross eyes. Rex still flinched at that. Man that is still creepy as Giratina. He thought as the scene shifted towards Aria using his Zero spell, which had been referred to as the Airspace of death. The display then showed from behind Rex forming and shooting the Lock-On Zap Cannon before charging it with Thunder and it ended with the gigantic wave of electricity spreading out everywhere.

"At first glance it might seem like a spectacular feet, but what makes it even more spectacular is that we also take a Magical Reading, which Magic belongs to who. Now this is the interesting part, because there is only one reading in both instances. The former to the Jupiter Cannon and the latter to Aria of the former Element Four." Belno added with a concerned look on her face as a separate screen appeared with a graph on it that showed the magical energy from Jupiter Cannon and Rex realised that he had to have put out more than that required to beat it.

"How is that possible? We don't know, but we are almost certain that you can answer it. How is it possible for you to match and beat the Jupiter Cannon?" Org took over, his voice booming.

Siegrain and Ultear both were looking on calmly and the others were looking at him expectantly and Rex felt the internal conflict within himself, and he didn't want to know what would happen if he refused. It looked as if he was between a rock and a hard place and decided to come out with the truth.

"Okay then, but you won't believe this at first." Rex sighed dramatically. "The reason you didn't pick up on my Magic..." He paused and noted the expectant look on almost everyone's faces. "...is because what I do isn't Magic at all."

"What do you mean by this?" Yajima asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

Rex could sense that many of the Council Members were also confused and sighed calmly. "What I mean is that I come from another world and the powers were given to me by a god and I'm here until my power comes full circle." He said, dropping the bomb on the Council.

Org stood up sharply along with several other Council members including Yajima, Belno and Michello. "What is the meaning of this nonsense? How can you simply claim to be from another world?!" He shouted in outrage. Other members of the Council also stood up and began asking questions and shouting similar thing and making similar demands and it all descended into Chaos. Siegrain and Ultear were the only ones who looked unfazed, but both of them expressed genuine surprise at this.

Rex slowly got annoyed by this and decided to end it by using Screech, sending out damaging sound waves. Almost simultaneously the Council stopped and covered there ears and that included Siegrain and Ultear. Rex pretended not to notice Siegrain flickering slightly as the Screech died down and they all stared at Rex in awe.

Siegrain was the first one to recover and asked a question. "Those Magic cuffs should have restrained your energy. So if you were from another world as you say then it would be safe to assume that it wouldn't make a difference. Aside from being used to restrain Magic they are very tough, so could you break them?"

Rex was surprised at this deduction and realised that Siegrain was more dangerous along with Ultear than the other Council Members. "I'd be happy to oblige." He replied coolly and the Council Members reacted with a mixture of surprise and interest. Rex concentrated and then used Strength and a thick red aura surrounded him as he pulled and broke the cuffs in two with relative ease.

There was silence and nobody spoke, not even Siegrain and Ultear made a noise because they were too surprised. "So are you going to ask me anything else related to this?" Rex asked quietly and they were snapped out of their trance.

"I for one would like to know where you are with your power since we can't measure its power." Ultear suggested and that was met with a round of nods. She looked curious and her rather revealing figure didn't help Rex.

Rex concentrated on himself and closed his eyes for a moment. "I'd say I'm halfway there with Father's power. What you should understand is that he practically created the whole universe, the world I came from and all the creatures that live there as well as the guardians of space and time." He answered.

There was a collective gasp followed by a collective jaw drop save for Ultear who could not hide her shock at this. "But having that sort of power would be unfathomable." Org said quietly. "That sort of power could... alter reality. That's even more reason to lock you up!" He shouted.

"What?" Rex said calmly, a red glow in his eyes. "Or did you forget that I broke those cuffs. What do you I think I could do if I was imprisoned in a cell made to hold Magic users?"

"And now you turn to threats?" Org challenged.

"A warning. I'm willing to bet that they're watching this exchange right now." Rex countered. "And they are willing to do anything to help me out if you interfere."

The idea of two creatures coming out and attacking them seemed to scare most of the Council and perhaps unsurprisingly, Rex saw that Siegrain and Ultear were the only ones not spooked. He grew concerned when he shortly realised that Ultear was smirking as if she was willing to go and fight them. "I'd say that he got our hands tied behind our backs, so I think that imprisoning him is out of the question." Siegrain proposed.

Org and a few others were outraged. "You're _actually _suggesting we do diddly squat?" He asked incredulously.

Siegrain nodded. "I can see no reason for him to lie, even if he may not trust us. What I can tell is that he will stick to his word, he is an honourable person." He explained and watched as the Council considered this for a moment and were wondering about Rex.

The Guardian only then noticed something off about him, the Mind Plate was telling him that he was in two places at once. _Don't be stupid, there is no way that he could be in two places at once. Siegrain is right here, isn't he? _Rex thought and pushed that feeling out of his mind.

Org sighed. "Very well then Siegrain, if you insist. We'll continue with the questioning and you'll stay with your group from Fairy Tail when we deliver a verdict." He said and began questioning Rex concerning his and Erza's fight with Jose Porla. Rex told them in return for a few explanations of his own about the real reason for Jose attacking Fairy Tail and tried to get as much information on the forbidden Spell Jose had used in an attempt to destroy him. According to the Council there were a certain set of Spells regardless of the Magic that were banned by them in order to prevent using them and their effects and incantations were kept at Era.

It felt like a very long time but the following day the verdict was announced. Surprisingly, Fairy Tail were going to get off scot free despite some objections from one or two members. The reason for those was that they saw Jose's escalating methods of attacking Fairy Tail as unacceptable and had acknowledged the fact that they didn't retaliate until one of their Guild Members had been hurt. Rex also strongly suspected that Yajima, Siegrain and Ultear also heavily influenced their decision. It was also decided that Jose would be stripped of his title as a Wizard Saint.

Makarov and Yajima had a private talk at night. "I was surprised that Fairy Tail got off considering what we did to Phantom Lord, and I have to thank you for your role."

Yajima nodded, with a smile on his face. "Yes, and I'm glad that I can help you in any way possible. But the Council are aware of this and don't like my influence. I may not be able to help you out in any way soon." He admitted, smile fading.

Makarov snorted gently. "I'm not scared of them." He smiled suddenly. "I think I'm more scared of Rex."

Yajima chuckled. "Yes, his story is an impressive one. To be his age and have a daunting task, I don't envy him."

Siegrain was also up in his quarter of the Era Building with Ultear. "Well I must admit that Guardian Fairy was quite the interesting character, wouldn't you say Ultear? You seemed to be particularly interested in him, do you have feelings for him?" He joked.

Ultear flushed with anger but didn't lash out. "That's completely false Siegrain. I was only interested in his potential power, especially as we cannot sense it normally. The only possible time would be when he was exerting a large amount of power." She suggested.

Siegrain was tinkering with one of the Surveillance Drones. "Oh absolutely. Especially this scene here." He referred to the moment Jose had used his Nightmare Reset Bomb against Rex and he paused the picture as Ultear observed him looking at it in horror, but also in his Groudon Forme. There was to one side a bunch of readings including the temperature which she made a note of.

"It says here that the temperature rose by 5 Celsius." She pointed out.

Siegrain nodded. "I was hoping you'd spot that, because I believe it has something to do with him being in that form because before assuming it the sunlight wasn't as intense either." He pointed to a Groudonified Rex, whose shadow could be seen much more clearly in the intense sunlight.

"And this?" Ultear inquired, pointing to the Spell.

Siegrain thought for a minute before answering. "Jose didn't use the Spell properly. Otherwise that would have killed him for sure. Jose is weak anyway, Makarov took him out in one hit. Rex could make a more ideal sacrifice than Erza for our little plan." Siegrain smirked, and it looked evil.

Ultear smiled slightly in the background. "Absolutely." She agreed but inside was feeling contempt for 'Siegrain'.

* * *

**Back at Fairy Tail**

"What, you just got off like that?" Elfman asked, surprised at their swift return. It had been a few days since their arrest and nobody was realistically expecting them to come back for a week and were pleasantly surprised at their early arrival. He wasn't the only one listening. Cana, Levy, Jet and a number of other Mages were also curious as to what went down those few days.

"That's the story Elfman. Besides I threatened to unleash my power since they know I don't use Magic." Rex added with a shrug.

"You actually threatened the Magic Council? That's a dangerous thing to do." Levy observed, wide eyed at how Rex was acting casually about that and suggesting he should be worried instead.

"But they know I'm right Levy. They had their hands tied back and besides, I can control my power. Unlike some people." Rex added, glowering at Natsu.

Natsu was offended. "I can control my Magic just fine!" He objected.

"You? Control your Magic? Yeah right Natsu, that'll be the day." Gray scoffed.

"You wanna go a few rounds stripper?" Natsu shouted and the pair of them began butting heads together, and once again Erza interrupted their little fight with an armoured fist and scolded ten for their reckless behaviour. The group watching them just groaned in despair.

"They never learn do they?" Rex asked.

"Aye." Happy agreed, nodding.

"Why are you agreeing with him Happy?" Natsu whined, not happy that his best friend was taking his side.

"Because you do go overboard Natsu, and Rex can at least control his power." Happy pointed out.

Natsu growled and glowered at Rex, who shrugged his shoulders apologetically. He slowly realised that the only way to save his dignity would be to challenge him again. "All right Rex, fight me again. But this time no taking advantage of my motion sickness got it?" He roared suddenly, making a few people jump.

Erza began to get irritated and began glaring fiercely at Natsu. "What did I just tell you Natsu?" She asked threateningly and stood behind him, intimidating him with her strength.

Natsu wouldn't have any of this though. "I don't care Erza, I wanna rematch!" He insisted.

Rex shook his head and sighed, but stopped when a plan formed within his mind and he smiled. "All right Natsu, I'll take you up on that offer." The Guild went silent when they all heard this and Erza walked up to him next, glaring at him fiercely instead of Natsu. "Don't worry about it Erza, I promise it will be quick this time." Rex added and for a moment she didn't know whether to smile or be shocked at this confidence. The same could be said for the others who heard this statement as well.

Natsu ignored this and began charging forwards. "**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!**" He shouted as his right fist was surrounded by fire.

Rex stood there but people saw his hands glow blue and effectively become two long lances. As Natsu got close Rex swiftly moved to one side and thrust hard at the stomach, before lifting him into the air and the pink haired Mage came crashing down, knocked unconscious by the Guillotine attack. "Warned you Natsu. I can beat you in a number of way and this is one of them."

The surrounding Guild members gaped at Rex in silence, as if they were still trying to process what had happened just there and then. After a moment they quickly erupted into cheers with Happy being the one most surprised by this. "Woah, the only ones who could perform that sort of feat is Erza and Gildarts! What did you do?" Mirajane asked, still confused by the scene.

"Oh something simple. That was Guillotine. If it hits, then it knocks the target out instantly, regardless of strength. That is one of the group known as one hit ko moves." Rex explained calmly.

"One hit?!" Cana gaped in surprise, dropping her mug of beer.

"Well in terms of accuracy the others are far worse, so this the best one because it requires you to actually hit the target." Rex said and went over to Natsu, looking at him cautiously in case he jumped up and attacked.

What Gray said woke him up for sure. "What an idiot, always rushing in like that. No wonder he loses so many fights." He tutted.

"Clothes Gray..." Lucy sweatdropped.

Natsu drowned her out however. "What did you say ice boy?" He shouted in Gray's face.

"I said you lose more fights than me yah flaming idiot!" Gray shot back and got into his signature two handed stance.

"That's bogus! You lose more fights and you know it!" Natsu retorted, holding a flaming fist in his hand.

"Cut it out, both of you!" Erza commanded and hit each of them hard on the head, and they fell to the floor. After that the Guild members moved away. She realised that since there was nothing going on she decided to walk up to Rex who was currently sitting down, occupied with his own thoughts and she threw a sword down between his legs. He jumped backwards onto the bench and panted heavily out of fear.

"What?" Rex asked when he calmed down.

Erza gave him a serious look before smiling slightly. "Rex Vermend, I challenged you to a one-on-one duel tomorrow." She declared and everyone froze in shock at it.

Rex returned a cocky grin and in response created a Sacred Sword and quickly held it up to her throat without actually cutting her. "Challenge accepted." He grinned.

Once more everyone was surprised both by Erza. "Woah! I never expected Erza to challenge anyone. It's always been the other way around." Macao remarked

"And it's always been Natsu." Wakaba smirked. It quickly became the talk of the Guild and some of the townspeople ended up hearing it.

"So who d'you think it is going to win? My money is on Erza." Jet said.

"Maybe, but Rex has brains unlike Natsu, so I beg to differ." Droy disagreed.

"And let's not forget the fact that he also assumed that Forme during his fight with Gajeel and he told us he also used in his fight against Jose." Levy pointed.

Jet gulped. "That thing still scares me." He whimpered.

"Man up, you can't let something like that get to you." Elfman chastised as he went over.

Cana was also sitting with them and gulped down her beer. "Personally I think Rex has the advantage, because we don't know his strength. Plus he can deal with a lot of things coming his way." She said, basically siding with Levy.

Makarov grinned as he watched the conversation taking place and didn't say a word. _When Erza decides to throw down the gauntlet you know things will be interesting. _He thought to himself and turned his attention towards the battle that will tale place tomorrow. Makarov knew a lot about Erza, including how she got here and why one of her eyes is artificial. But Rex was an enigma even though he had been around for some time. On the surface he was like Natsu and Gray but much smarter but there was something more about the power of Arceus that he appeared to have missed, like how he became Groudon during the war with Phantom Lord.

"Hah, no matter what happens tomorrow, it will be interesting. You can count on that." Makarov said to himself.

* * *

**Tomorrow**

Early on in the morning Rex was up and showered quickly. He then sat down on the sofa and felt himself shaking from anticipation. "I'm actually going to fight Erza. Goddamn it Rex pull yourself together you can win this!" He shouted to no one in particular. Gardevoir came down but said nothing as it would probably make him feel more nervous and jittery. She was surprised to see that he looked up towards her. "How do you think I should deal with Erza?" Rex asked weakly.

"Why are you asking me?" Gardevoir began and Rex groaned. "Well you have abilities now and you could use another Legendary Forme that isn't Groudon." She suggested and Rex blinked for a moment.

"You're right!" Rex grinned. Then he stopped grinning and became deadly serious. "I have the ideal one in mind." He muttered slowly and when he was outside he sent out his pokemon and informed them of the situation. There reaction was mostly surprise but after they got over it they all began encouraging Rex onwards.

"Hey, don't worry Rex. We're here for you and won't have anything against you should you lose." Greninja said in an attempt to make him feel better.

Rex stopped and then paused as he looked at him, and felt a mixture of emotions. "Yeah. You're right." He smiled gently and felt a tear in his eyes. He abruptly did a 180 and hit Greninja in the head with Karate Chop. "Idiot! Don't do this to me right as I'm about to battle Erza!" Rex barked. Greninja nodded and then smiled as they began walking towards the Guild Hall and they stopped outside the courtyard.

Rex and Erza stood facing each other, neither one of them smiling. The Guild members began cheering them on and his Pokemon were watching, with Aggron and Garchomp standing at the back and Braviary watched from the front next to Greninja. Gallade and Gardevoir stood next to Team Shadow Gear. Somehow before the fight Cana managed to get her little betting in and it was split 50:50 exactly.

"Wow, I can't believe that it's split down the middle. You guys must be really impressed with them both." Lucy remarked.

"Did you bet for anyone Lucy?" Happy asked.

"Why would I do that when I've got rent to pay?!" Lucy cried out, annoyed.

Before the fight could start however a Rune Knight walked in and interrupted the atmosphere. "I've got an order from the mayor after hearing that Titania and him were going to fight each other. He already knows of her monstrous power. As for him." He pointed at Rex. "He doesn't know his full power but he has seen him fighting the Jupiter Cannon and doesn't want to take any chances. The damage both of you could do could be unthinkable damage to the town."

Erza frowned for a moment before thinking of an idea. "No worries. We can fight in my training grounds a few miles outside of Magnolia Town in the forest. There won't be any destruction of property." She assured him.

An hour later...

With the help of Gardevoir, a lot of kegs of beer was transported from the Guild Hall towards the battle site. Despite this there's was still some grumbling from a few of the Mages about having to walk a few miles. As with learning that Rex was from another dimension the smarter Mages understood why they were fighting elsewhere, and Natsu agreed with this as well at least until he got fed up with walking.

They all saw where Erza trained. Apart from the one path that lead down towards Magnolia Town the large grassy area with several different exercises including targets for her ranged attacks. Practically everyone except Greninja moved to one side with Makarov at the front. "Heh, I can't believe I am referring a match between two humans. If that isn't ironic I don't know what is." Greninja chuckled before laughing.

"Can we start now?" Rex asked him.

Natsu was getting fired up and were suddenly surrounded by fire. "C'mon let's go now!" He shouted.

"Is this supposed to be a good idea? I mean, what if they hate each other after this?" Lucy asked nervously.

"No way Lu-chan. It's quite the opposite because Senpai and Erza have feelings for each other. They are both denying it strenuously though." Gallade pointed out with a smile of his face.

"Yeah, and they're fighting to prove their manliness!" Elfman said, agreeing with Gallade.

"Erza's a woman." Gardevoir replied, confused.

"You gotta admit, she is pretty manly though." Gray added.

The three of them faced Natsu with a deadpan look on his face and then turned back. Greninja gulped as he sensed the tension in the air and he knew that both of them could probably defeat him. "Ahem, the battle between Rex Vermend of Oldale Town and Erza Titania of Magnolia Town will now commence. The rules are simple, keep going until one is knocked out or forfeits. Start!" Greninja finished before rushing out of the way.

Rex nodded and switched to the Fist Plate, and two Sacred Swords appeared in his hand. Erza didn't Requip into any of her armour, instead choosing to also use two swords as well and they charged at each other before delivering a series of blows at each other. Rex parried away one of the swords before attacking one if her shoulders and it scraped on it but he wasn't bothered by it and followed it up with a cross slash that separated them and pushed Erza back.

"I'm surprised at your swordplay, I'll admit." Erza acknowledged with a smile.

"Heh, you bet. And there is a lot more where that came from." Rex said and he began running towards her again. He brought them both upwards but Erza jumped backwards and then lashed out with a punch instead of a sword and Rex stumbled which gave her the opportunity to strike three more times, each pushing him backwards. She was going to deliver a blow to his chest but Rex stopped it firmly.

Erza then swung her other sword at him and Rex ducked before using his free Sacred Sword to send her other one flying out of her hand and it pierced the ground with a thud. Sensing his advantage Rex moved to the offensive and jumped at her in a spinning motion, forcing Erza to deflect his blows, but it didn't stop there. He aimed for her chest with both of his swords and she timed her block with expertise, using both hands to firmly hold the sword in place.

"Gotta say I'm impressed as well. Not just with how you handled my two Sacred Swords but also how you blocked both of them at the same time." Rex complimented her.

"Woah, he really is skilled with a sword." Gray said in surprise. He wasn't the only one impressed with Rex.

"Well, Senpai did learn from the best." Gallade boasted, indicating that he was the one who helped him.

They continued there struggled, which ended in a draw that forced both of them backwards a few feet. Neither combatant had a readable expression on their faces, they were each trying too determine what their next move would be. Rex then got rid of one of his swords and decided to use one on the basis that he would use a different attack. He faked a left before stopping and having an orb of water form in his hand. "**Water Pulse.**" He said and fired close range at Erza, scoring a hit.

She took a step back and looked on as he switched to the Splash Plate. "You're going to use water attacks? Very well, **Requip!**" Erza cried and was illuminated by a golden light. When it faded Erza was now wearing a revealing green armour with some bluish section that looked a lot like sea monsters. Her breastplate resembled seaweed and Rex saw that they barely covered them and there were also some chains hanging from them. The breastplate is linked to the pauldrons, composed of green plates and decorated by prominent fin-like ornaments. The gauntlets cover only Erza's forearms, leaving her biceps exposed, and possess decorated elbow guards with prominent ornaments jutting out in whirl shapes, reminiscent of seashells.

The greaves possess fin-shaped protrusions in correspondence to Erza's ankles, and extend up to her knees, with her thighs being instead covered by jagged parts made of cloth. The outfit is completed by a headgear, with a large metal part covering her forehead, bearing a whirl-shaped wave on it, and large fin-shaped protrusions siding her head. "This is my Sea Empress Armour. With it water attacks are halved and I can use Water Magic myself." Erza said.

"Good to know that. **Water Shuriken.**" Rex said as he began throwing stars of compressed water at her.

Erza deflected them all easily with her sword that accompanied the set. The hand guard was two symmetrical fins with a green jewel in the middle and the blade was mainly a sea green colour with three navy protrusions on it. Then she sent a wave of water at Rex who stood their and took it, though he nearly went down.

"The fact that your Sea Empress Armour resists water types moves isn't such a bother." Rex responded. Then he conjured up a Whirlpool and threw it at Erza who waited patiently, giving him what he wanted. Erza didn't expect him to surround himself with water and use Aqua Jet to push her into the Whirlpool and she was spinning round and round. Unlike Natsu she freed herself however and sent the extra water at Rex who avoided it narrowly with Aqua Jet.

_Okay, maybe this will be a problem. Still though, I can take her water attacks. Though this is the only Plate I have that resists water based Magic. _Rex admitted and decided on something else. A yellow scalchop appeared and it was surrounded by a light blue aura which then extended till it was as long as Erza's current sword. (Water puns.)

Erza and Rex both had their respective moves clash and red sparks could be seen from where the two attacks struggled and Rex followed it up with a Water Gun to the face, lifting her up. Rex then used Aura Sphere instead of Water Pulse and Erza sent it back at him.

"So far Rex is handling her better than Natsu did." Mira noted.

"Hey!" An annoyed Natsu whined. "That's not fair!"

"Because it's true?" Greninja added.

"Now I see why Gajeel had so much trouble and I even heard he held out very well against Jose." Cana said to the spectators who didn't like being reminded of the recent war, but in this case it was not as bad as some would have wanted.

Rex jumped to avoid it but cursed his luck, knowing that Aura Sphere was one of those moves that always hit. He then looked up in surprise as he saw Erza attacking so soon after it hit him and Rex was sent firmly towards the floor. "You're gonna regret that when I use Scald!" He shouted as he unleashed a torrent of boiling water, and Gray shuddered as he was reminded of his fight against Juvia.

Erza was caught off guard by how hot the water was and flinched as she felt it burn her skin. When she landed back on the ground, everyone could see the red marks on her body. _The way Rex doesn't look worried suggests he holding back more, so I should be ready for anything. _She thought and readied herself.

The last thing she was expecting was for Rex to produced a faint light blue and she saw it fly high into the sky, and it sent three sky blue shockwaves across the sky. A few moments later it began raining much to the surprise of everyone standing there and there was a scramble as the Fairy Tail members save for a select few went under cover.

"Great, now I'm all wet." Lucy complained. Natsu and Greninja were amongst the few not really bothered by it.

"What is that supposed to do?" Erza asked, curiously.

"I'm glad you asked Erza. Ability Change: Swift Swim." Rex said and he felt his speed double. Erza was surprised to see him launch forwards with an Aqua Jet that was also stronger than before too as she pushed back with effort and strength that temporarily surprised Rex and she sent a wave of water at him again. This time he didn't use a move to avoid and dodged it with relative ease.

"This next one might hurt a little." Rex warned as he used Scald again. Erza let out a gasp of pain as the boiling hot water touch the cold rain on her skin. He didn't stop there though and followed with up with Hydro Cannon and sent a blast of concentrated water at her. "**Surf!**" Rex cried as he sent a large wave that looked as if it could have easily swamped the Guild Hall.

"That looks like it could destroy the Guild Hall!" Levy said, freaking out slightly.

Aggron was one of the ones to get out of the way. "Yeah, but Rex is playing smart. Even though her Sea Empress Armour resists water he gone with the idea that he'll increase his attack power to counteract that. Though this rain won't last forever though. In addition, Swift Swim doubles his speed in rain so he can attack quickly many times in a row. That's Rex for you." He said calmly. The surrounding Mages looked on in surprise.

"So he's really thinking this through?" Cana asked.

"Yeah, but by the looks of things, I'd say they are only just starting." Aggron guessed.

Erza brace herself and then jumped up and sent a wave of water using her sword and a light blue wave made an opening and she jumped through it. "Why not switch to another Plate?" She asked.

Rex looked up and felt the rain getting lighter. "Because I want it to end like this. **Thunder!**" He shouted and was lit up by a bolt of lightning and fired it as Erza, and what she didn't know was that in rain, Thunder had perfect accuracy and she gasped in pain. Everyone was surprised and could feel the heat from the powerful electric attack. The rain didn't let up just yet but it was getting lighter.

Rex quickly formed a mirror of water and used Hydro Pump but Erza used her Sword to send it back her attacker and forcing Rex to jump out of the way to avoid it. He also saw that Erza unleashed several waves of water at him and was hit by each of them. What's annoying is that this Plate is the only one that resist water type moves, so I gotta use an ability and change the flow.

Erza ran forwards and slashed at Rex who quickly countered with Razor Shell and then used Work Up to increase his attack power even further. The scalchop grew in size and power slightly and they clashed several times with Rex blocking a number of strikes with ease thanks to Swift Swim and he struck back by hitting her with Razor Shell in the side and then knocked the sword out of her.

They both looked at each other, and Rex was waiting to see what Erza would do. Erza was also aware of the fact that he would attack if she went to get her sword or she could Requip into a different Armour and lose her resistance to his water attacks. She smiled as her weapon glowed and in her arm appeared another weapon, and Rex saw that she now held a long spear with two spear heads and has a decorated circular wheel connecting the shaft with the spear heads. There was also a ribbon that decorated the spear.

"That's a weapon that comes with her Lightning Empress Armour." Happy informed the pokemon.

"Really? He could be in trouble then. Even though Rex could switch to the Zap Plate he would lose that advantage he had in the rain." Gardevoir mused.

Gallade shook his head. "He has a plan nee-chan, though I don't know what it is." He admitted and looked on anxiously.

"So what's this then?" Rex asked, having only seen five different kinds of Armour and a few weapons to accompany it.

"A demonstration would be better." Erza replied and the spear heads moved apart and a green blast of electricity fired at Rex, breaking up into 3 different bolts of lightning as it got closer towards Rex who felt the shock of it. She then fired again but Rex ploughed through the center with Aqua Jet and she dodged it to one side.

Rex skid across the field as he quickly turned to face her and began running towards her and a tail made of water appeared behind him. "**Aqua Tail!**" Rex cried as a spiral of strong water crashed into Erza and she created a shield of lightning with the spear that absorbed the blow and that was followed up by a Scald attack from him. Erza then fired a bolt of lightning and two attacks collided in bright blue sparks and the water and lightning scattered.

Rex jumped in with Razor Shell and was greeted with another shield and then decided to surprise her. Using Feint Rex broke through the shield, greatly surprising Erza and he ploughed through with Aqua Jet and crashed into a tree. Then he waited as Erza got out from the tree and she fired a ball of lightning at him and Rex countered with Electro Ball and they cancelled each other out in a shower of spark.

Speaking of showers, Rex saw that the rain stopped and the benefits of the rain stopped. Erza seemed confident about that and switched her current weapon back to the sword that came with her Sea Empress Armour. "You know that advantage your Armour gives you? Well that advantage is now null and void. Ability Change: Mold Breaker." Rex declared and orange sparks danced across the field and on Erza's Armour.

"What was that supposed to do?" Erza asked.

Rex didn't give a reply but smiled as he prepared yet another Razor Shell and jumped forwards to attack and Erza stopped it with her Sea Sword. Then Erza got another helping of Scald from him except that this time it felt a lot stronger than at the start of the battle. Rex followed this up with Whirlpool and then used Surf, swamping Erza with a massive wave this time.

"Did Rex just get stronger all of a sudden?" Levy asked.

"No, what's he actually done is use Mold Breaker. It's an ability that suppresses anything that prevents and greatly reduces damage taken. So that means her Flame and Sea Empress Armours fire and water power cutting properties are null and void." Greninja answered.

"How many abilities are there?" Jet asked in shock.

"Um, a lot." Greninja replied frowning slightly.

"You shouldn't use any of those sorts of Armour Erza. Mold Breaker will render resistances useless." Rex informed and switched to the Sky Plate, flying out of the way as she unleashed a whirl of water at him and he retaliated with Air Slash, but Erza deflected them out of the way. Rex followed this up by changing his ability to Rock Head and dived down, surrounded by crystal blue energy.

"**Requip!**" Erza shouted as she saw that what he said was true and she was now in her Heaven's Wheel Armour and she glided out of the way and Rex crashed into the tree, making it shudder and fall into another tree. As she dashed forwards and struck with her sword Rex countered by using Aerial Ace. He let out a small grunt as they clashed and changed his approach.

"**Tailwind!**" Rex chanted as he felt his speed increase and then charged forwards with Wing Attack. This attack was blocked but he wasted no time as he followed it up with Acrobatics. The move dealt double damage as Rex wasn't holding anything to weigh him down and Erza let out a gasp as she saw a couple of afterimages of Rex striking her in multiple places.

Whilst Rex gained altitude and distanced himself away from Erza, she summoned a bunch of swords. "Dance my blades, Circle Sword!" She cried, sending them all towards Rex who flew out of the way and began circling Erza,firing off the occasional Air Slash to keep her on her toes. Erza glided high into the air and attacked Rex hard at the back and he crashed down into a crate.

"Do you wish to concede?" Erza asked and she held her swords out threateningly.

"Hold on a minute let me get out of this awkward position." Rex pleaded first and after mulling it over for a few moments, Erza relented and he got up after a few careful moves. Then a torrent of wind surrounded his arms and the dust flew up around him. "**Legendary Signature Arts - Aeroblast!**" He shouted and clapped his arms together to produce a strong concentrated blue vortex of air that also scored a critical hit.

Erza didn't have time to react as she fell for the trick and was smashed into a rock that was used as part of her training and the force of her body shattered it into many pieces. Many of the spectators gasped as they saw the event happening and were unsure of what to say or think. They all saw Erza getting up and facing Rex again. "That move you performed hurt me a fair bit, but I won't go down that easily." She pointed out and then ran forwards.

"**Trinity Sword!**" Erza cried as she attacked with her swords in a delta formation and was met with a green shield that protected Rex from any harm. She summoned a few more swords and sent them all directly at the shield in hopes of breaking through but to no avail, and they all bounced back at her. Erza deflected all of them and they fell onto the floor, most of them sinking into the ground.

Rex calmed himself as he began to surround himself with a light blue aura that began gatheringf stronger around him. Erza saw this as a sign of a strong attack and used Telekinesis to bring her group of swords together and also began preparing an attack.

"**Sky Attack!**" Rex shouted and charged forwards in the air, surrounded by light blue energy.

"**Blumenblatt!**" Erza cried as a Seal appeared. She slashed twice at him and followed it up with her extra swords as he met the attack head on. There was silence as many waited to see what would happen. Then Erza heard both of her swords in her hand crack and she quickly turned to face Rex.

Rex also didn't come out of the clash unscathed as he nearly dropped to one knee and his wings took the full force of the impact, and he switched to the Icicle Plate this time. "I think it's me, but it is getting cold." He said calmly and sent a lighter blue orb up into the sky and this time it began hailing, much to the annoyance of those not hiding under a tree and now the only people on the field were Rex and Erza.

"What is this?" Erza asked confused and she felt it coming down and stinging all over her.

"What it looks like, hail. You'll take some damage each other but I won't in this Forme." Rex replied and started by using Icy Wind, chilling Erza down.

She decided to go for the perfect armour that would counter the ice. Now Erza requipped into her Flame Empress Armour and Rex looked worried. He dodged quickly as she unleashed a wave of fire and followed it up with an Ice Beam, but Erza defeated it with a blast of fire. Then she ran close to him and slashed with a wave of fire and Rex yelped in pain, understanding now why Ice types faired poorly when defending.

"Ow ow ow!" Rex whined and got up. "Ability Change: Thick Fat." He said quietly and he felt much more comfortable. Erza unleashed another spiral of flames that danced around Rex but noticed that it didn't do as much damage as it just had the previous time. She guessed that there was some sort of ability that reduced the damage from fire and would have to crank up the heat.

"This next one will leave you with a cold shoulder. **Blizzard!**" White rings surrounded one of his hands which now began glowing blue and fired a really powerful blizzard at Erza, who despite having the Flame Empress Armour on felt the attack and quickly saw her body temperature falling and tried to use her Fire Magic that came with her sword, but that frosted over and soon her entire body was encased.

"No way, did Erza just lose?" "Look at Titania, she's frozen solid." That was amongst a number of murmurs that spread amongst the crowd.

"Don't celebrate yet." Gardevoir noted coolly.

"And that's... what the?" Rex gasped as he saw a red and orange glow come from within the ice and watched as Erza broke free of her icy prison and she surrounded herself with a spiral column of flame that melted her frozen body and evaporate the water.

"That was clever by trying to freeze me with ice, but I've had plenty of experience when it come to dealing with ice Magic thanks to Gray." Erza explained with a tone that Rex thought was smug.

"Even so that's not all I have." Rex replied and a small ice sphere the size of his hand appeared and he threw it, not surprised that Erza cut it in half cleanly but Rex was betting on it and summoned the second one which was somewhat larger than the original and tried again. Erza also noticed that it was getting bigger and decided to unleash a stronger wave of fire that melted the Ice Ball.

Then a spiral of blue sparks danced between his hands as a third ball, this time twice as large as the first one appeared and the force of the crash made Erza take a step backwards. She was then alarmed to see the fourth Ice Ball be twice as large as the previous one, but was still determined to break it apart. Erza held her sword in both hands and when it came close towards her she buried it into the ball and sent Fire Magic down it that broke it into pieces, but some of them battered against her Armour.

Rex was surprised by only for a moment. "Last one." He said as the fifth Ice Ball, six times larger than the original. Erza paused for a moment, and was uncertain as to how she was going to fend it off and the hails that was coming down wasn't helpful either, battering against her. It was risky using it but there wasn't much option and Erza was surprised at how they all moved at the same speed. A fiery red Seal appeared in front of her. "**Crimson Slash!**" She chanted and slashed upwards at the create create a shockwave made of fire that travelled on the ground directly at the largest Ice Ball, smashing it into several pieces.

"Woah, okay I'm impressed. Negating all five successive Ice Balls is impressive." Rex admitted before using Icicle Crash. He create a group of half a dozen Icicles that rained down on Erza who dodged them all with ease, despite already being slowed down by the Icy Wind and returned a wave of fire at him. He quickly switched to the Splash Plate and used Water Pulse on the ground beneath him to protect himself. "Ability Change: Air Lock." Rex said and the weather dissipated.

Erza took note of the fact that he was smart and creative and watched as switched back to his Normal Forme. _So far Rex has countered everything I've thrown at him. He displays great swordplay, can nullify the ability of my Empress Armours and he still hasn't used any of his Legendary Forms yet. Which means I've got to step up my game. _She thought and Requipped into another armour.

This is her Flight Armour. This armor has features very few armored parts. It is cheetah printed, and the outfit has a large collar around Erza's neck and a tail hanging from the back of her shorts, both made of bushy fur, plus a pair of large cheetah's ears adorning both sides of Erza's head. It came with two short swords not unlike a rapier shaped like rose thorns.

Rex raised an eyebrow out of curiosity, wondering what it would do and was then surprised by the fact that Erza suddenly dealt a number of attacks and all he saw was a whirl. Rex didn't hesitate in switching to the Iron Plate and materialising his armour but the duration of that gave her plenty more opportunities to attack. "Okay, your new armour gives you plenty of speed, not a problem." He said before disappearing in a blur with Extreme Speed.

Nobody saw anything, expect for the times when they clashed with each other which caused ripples in the air and sometimes an afterimage. They were surprised to see an armoured Rex nail Erza with a left hook and were equally surprised when Erza feinted right and attacked from the left. From the two members on the field, their perspective of things was much different. They all saw a blur unless they stopped to take in the scenery and the slow mo of the crowd gaping.

Neither of them could say a word because they were both too fast to hear each other but it was clear that they respected each other and would not back down. Erza then used Sonic Claw and began attacking multiple times from every direction. Rex stopped on the spot and let him attack her, knowing full well that Steel types were physically defensive and he could take it.

When the Spell was finished Rex fired a fast silver orb and Erza deflected it into a tree and it exploded, sending out a shockwave that threw up loose ground everywhere, forcing the crowd to cover their eyes.

"This is crazy!" Lucy cried. "How can they keep this up?"

Both of them stopped running and looked at each other before going again and they could see the distortions where they moved in for the attack. Ripples occurred close, far away and anywhere and everywhere in between. Rex then appeared to stop and Erza ran in to attack but he summoned a grey shield with a hexagonal pattern and just in time she stopped.

"Aw, I wanted you to hit the King's Shield!" Rex complained before charging forwards and using Meteor Mash to send Erza tumbling into more of her training equipment. Looking round they saw that a fair bit of damage had been done with their battle and that some parts were wrecked whilst others remained unchanged. "If I can't hit you specifically, then I'll have to go with an area move." He said and used Earthquake, knowing full well that Erza would have to fly in order to avoid it.

The ground shook, buckled and jerked suddenly. It affected both Erza and her training ground and Rex knew he would probably have to pay for it in some way shape or form but right now that wasn't important. She tried running but realised that it would go against her and the ground was forced unevenly and was subsequently slammed into a stone target. When she did the Earthquake died down but she knew something could still be up.

Rex slammed a foot down and golden cracks raced towards Erza and she felt her whole body shaking. If she was correct then not only was the Earth Plate, as Rex called it, powerful but it would have no effect on flying objects and she Requipped into her Black Wing Armour. Her suspicion was right as she notice Rex grinning slightly and he switched to the Mind Plate.

Rex noted that Erza had not seen the full extent of this Plate yet and decided to change his ability to Adaptability and form a blueish orb and use Psyshock at Erza and she blocked it. Then a white light flashed at his finger tips and Erza wasn't sure what he had just done. "Come on then, let's continue." Rex suggested and he created a blade of pink energy as Erza summoned her Black Wing Sword and he used Psychic to levitate himself in the air.

She nodded and they both flew towards each other. Everyone heard the clash between the two weapons and saw the pair throwing and blocking strikes in what looked like equal measure. In reality though Erza was blocking more strikes than Rex because of her lowered Speed, but she didn't catch on to it yet. "Moon Flash!" Erza chanted and slashed at Rex in a cross power.

Rex fell but then cushioned himself before countering with Counter and dealt twice as much damage that Erza inflicted on himand and turned towards her before charging forwards with Zen Headbutt, surrounded by blue Psychic energy and hit her square in the chest, only letting go when she brought her Black Wing Sword to his head. Rex moved himself back and then attacked her mind with a weird burst of psychic energy. "**Extrasensory.**" He muttered and Erza felt it.

"Tell me something Rex. Do different types have different properties?" Erza asked, lowering her sword.

Rex realised she was smarter than he though. "Guess I can't hide that fact. Yes, different types have different properties. Usually the Psychic type focuses on Special Attack, aside from Psycho Cut and Zen Headbutt." He admitted before using Work Up again to increase his attack power further. "But that won't stop me from using Stored Power." At this, a strange pink and blue orb began forming in his hands and sparks flew around it as it bulged a couple of times, weighing in positive stat changes.

It had a power of one hundred and Rex's eyes flashed red, marking her with Lock-On. "Bombs away!" Rex shouted as he fired it at Erza and she moved out of the way, but it came right back at her and she couldn't see it until it was too late. There was an explosion of energy as she was hurled to the ground and Rex halted that by using Psychic to cushion her fall. Then the Future Sight kicked in and Erza was shocked by white psychic energy.

But she was still not done yet. "You're certainly resourceful. Using mental power against me instead of physical power, but I have a mind game of my own." Erza said with an evil smirk on her face and that began worrying greatly. There was another golden glow and Rex gasped.

This armor is composed of a long light apron, tied behind Erza's neck and back, worn over her bare chest, and thus revealing much of her breasts' sides, paired with pink-colored panties, exposing much of her buttocks, and long stockings, reaching up to the middle parts of her thighs. There are no shoes, and Erza's head is adorned by a maid hat. The only visible armored parts are the gauntlets, which extend up to the middle parts of Erza's biceps, where ribbons are tied around her arms, and sport heart-shaped elbow guards. The armor comes equipped with a simple sword which bears a writing on the blade, this being "Come on Boy".

Rex felt himself blushing furiously and was unable to takes his eyes off of her from such a dramatic change in her attire and saw Erza begging him to come closer. This was her Seduction Armour and it certainly lived up to its name.

"We-hell, this is a sight to see. I'm jealous that he got a close up of her Seduction Armour." Makarov chuckled before grinning in a rather creepy way. "The thought of seeing her up close makes me want to come up and have some fun with her!" He shouldn't have said it out loud as Gardevoir overheard and levitated him up, hanging him on a tree by his pants.

"I... I... dear Arceus Erza!" Rex said quietly and pale as he get closer.

"That's right." Erza said in a false soothing tone. "Just close enough... FOR THIS!" She declared triumphantly and quickly switched back to her Heaven's Wheel Armour and swung an uppercut at Rex, sending him flying in the air and she jumped up and followed it up with her Trinity Sword Spell.

Having been broken out of the seductive trance Rex scowled as he used Iron Defense before he was hit by Trinity Sword and glared at Erza. Having been pushed back even further he scowled. "That was a dirty trick. Not cool at all Erza." Rex said out loud, annoyed. Then he decided to mix things up a little and use Amnesia to sharply raise his Special Defense, so right now he could pretty much handle anything and conjured another Psycho Cut.

Erza then summoned a bunch of swords and pointed them all at Rex. "**Blumenblatt!**" She chanted and dashed forwards to attack Rex who then suddenly disappeared and reappear in front of her, taking no damage from the attack.

"Let me show you how it's done." Rex taunted as he swung from above and sent Erza plummeting towards the ground and her swords fell with her. Rex knew that she could use Telekinesis and picked up a pair of swords and decided to use those, and there was a red glow as it mirrored the stat changes to match his. "What do you think about that?"

"I'm surprised that you're using my swords, but I won't hold that against you. **Pentagram Sword!**" Erza declared as she dashed forwards and struck with five extra swords, but Rex blocked the initial pair. "**Circle Sword!**" A spinning disc caught Rex by surprise as he fell on the floor and got up slowly. "**Trinity Sword!**" Erza finished her barrage of attack by slashing in a delta formation again and stood several metres away from Rex.

"Ow, that hurt a lot." Rex groaned as he got up to her surprise. "There are two reasons that didn't work. One is that to me the swords register as Fighting type and that is resisted by Psychic type. The other is that I raised my defences as well, which means I can endure more than normal regardless of the strength of the Spell." He explained.

Erza began thinking and quickly realised that the only way to deal more damage would be to increase her strength and had the perfect Armour for that. "Requip!" She shouted and changed her armour for one that was generally gold and was uneven symmetrically. Rex recognised this as her Giant's Armour and realised that she could keep increasing her strength beyond his defended maximum of 6 stages each.

Erza summoned an axe and took a mighty swung, Rex dived and then jumped as she brought it down onto the ground, increasing her strength with each blow. This was going to be a problem, because Rex wondered that if increasing her strength would also mean increasing the strength of her Armour as well and fired an Aura Sphere that hit her but she emerged unscathed in comparison to how she looked after the string of psychic attacks.

Erza swung again and the force rippled through the air so hard that it cut the block of stone several feet away and Rex looked on in surprise as it slid and fell off, wondering what would happen if he got hit. "I won't get hit by that thing!" He boldly stated struck back with Slash, only to grate against armour covering her lower arm and then followed it up with a Thunder Punch to the breastplate which was more successful due to the fact that the metal conducted the electricity.

Unfortunately it was just not enough and Rex realised that he had been fooled into making that attack and felt it slam into him and cut him across the side as he was flung hard through a row of straw dummies held up by wooden poles, head breaking each pole and came to rest in one.

"Yikes!" He shouted and teleported some distance away from her and sent a strong Psyshock at her, but Erza switched her weapon to a lance and caught the end of it in the orb of energy and sent it right back at him. Rex then used Agility and blurred for a few moments and felt his Speed double, and let out a sigh of relief.

Erza then threw the lance hard and it came quickly at him. Rex barrel rolled to the left and then used Psychic to sent a powerful psi blast at her, causing Erza to stop walking forwards for a few seconds. There were three more but each of them now slowed her down for a few second as she got closer. However Rex didn't miss the loom of surprise on her face when he suddenly jumped out of the way.

"Looks like there is only one thing for it. **Legendary Forme: Mewtwo!**" He cried and there was a surge of energy that the Fairy Tail members felt the breeze rushing away of him. Unlike the first time he began to glow a pale lilac colour and his new appearance was shocking to say the least.

Rex now had purple cropped hair with two small blunt horns in it that looked as if they were ears and his eyes were now a distant purple. Rex wore a pale lilac battle suit with greyer lines running along the body that were in a group I of six - three on each side and it extended down to his wrists. His skin lookes paler too and there was a tube that came out of his skull and went back in at the base of his neck. The battle suit was accompanied by leg gear that mirrored the design found on the suit and had grey lines running along the lower half of the leg up to the kneecap and his footwear was a darker lilac colour and had four small blue spheres on it. His most notable feature though was a purple tail that was thick at the start and thinned out, at the end shaping like a small bulb.

"What is that? It feels different to the last one." Erza noted.

The crowd then noticed the glares coming from all the Pokemon as if there was something serious to the matter, and they all saw his calm, almost expressionless face before he decided to answer.

"This is Mewtwo. A clone created by humans. But when it was aware of it that Mewtwo destroyed the lab and nearly took over the world once, but left in order to find answers." Rex answered. "Don't you see Erza? This is the lowest that we can sink to. Years of gene splicing and messing round with unknown forces all to create something that nearly dominated the world. Only insane people do these sorts of things." Erza noted how the answer was straight laced but that didn't make it any less horrifying.

There was collective gasp from the crowd. Cana and Natsu were rendered speechless and both Mirajane and Levy began crying, and choked on it because of how horrifying the thought was. "You can't be serious." Gray said quietly, his usual bravado gone.

"...Senpai isn't wrong. There are those who exist in our world." Gallade answered gauntly.

"Yeah, and they indirectly caused him to lose his family when he was young." Greninja added and everyone began listening to what he had to say. "It affected him greatly and he hates mistreatment of other people as a result. Especially by those who think little of others as well. It seems a simple enough berserk button but there are grey areas with that."

"An experiment?" Erza asked, bewildered.

Rex nodded then appeared to wake up. "Anyway, I'll show you why Mewtwo is not something to be messed around with!" He said calmly and fired a Thunderbolt at Erza who cried out in pain as it was suddenly stronger than before. Rex followed this up with Psychic and sent her crashing into a stone block. "And his physical prowess is just as good!" He added before using Hi Jump Kick directly in the center of her Giant's Armour which sent a shockwave that broke the block apart into many pieces with ease.

Erza got back up and decided to switch to her Black Wing Armour again and attacked with a Moon Flash. "Not bad, but you could do better Erza." Rex stated coolly and psychic energy began gathering in his gathering in his hand and then fired a beam of psychedelic coloured energy at her and she barely managed to dodge it. Erza looked back at Rex, and wondered if that Forme had any negative impacts.

"What's up with that? It's like he's a statue." Gray pondered.

"That's because Mewtwo is a perfect battler for lack of a better word. Stronger, faster, more durable. All of those traits usually mean nothing to others when compared with Mewtwo." Greninja answered softly, and there was sadness in his tone.

Rex wasted no time in following up with an Ice Beam that appeared larger than the previous time and Erza flew low to avoid it before pulling up and had also noticed that the ice felt colder and it was larger than earlier as well. She quickly stopped flying as she saw that Rex was right in front of her and drew her sword. "**Gravity**." Rex said calmly as purple sparks danced around his hand. Erza felt herself pulled suddenly towards the ground and she tried to get up but Rex increased the pressure slightly and felt the added weight of her armour as well crushing her.

"Are you going to concede?" Rex asked calmly and Erza saw how the emotions shifted from cold and uncaring to stoic and fair.

"No, not yet. **Requip!**" She shouted in spite of the weight and switched back to the Giant's Armour. Rex saw that the extra weight was getting to Erza and wondered why chose that armour over something like her Flight Armour. He was startled when he saw that Erza was slowly getting up and resisting the Gravity. Rex increased it significantly and Erza struggled really hard in an effort in get up but slowly with the extra strength given to her she got to one knee.

Rex released it and Erza gave a smug smile that frustrated him. "Even so, you're still going to lose!" He said angrily and was colder again with her. Rex gathered the power necessary in his hand and prepared to use Stored Power as Erza switched to her Heaven's Wheel Armour and she began summoning a great number of swords until there were nearly 50, but he saw that it took concentration.

Using her Telekinesis she surrounded Rex with all the summoned swords and began rapidly circling him, eventually obscuring his vision of her. Rex then divided the larger Stored Power into four smaller orbs and fired them all out of the tower of swords, destroying at least half of them. Sensing her attack Rex jumped and intercepted her Trinity Sword with Blaze Kick and pushing her backwards as he unleashed Meteor Mash, followed by Aerial Ace and Erza gave up ground slowly.

"Hold on there Erza I'm not done yet. This is only the start." Rex pointed out and began gathering an intense amount of psychic energy, getting to the point where there was a white aura surging around him. "**Legendary Signature Arts - Psystrike.**" Rex announced calmly, though there was a slightly scary grin on his face as there was a white forcefield of psychic energy that threw Erza off her feet because she was so close to it and exploded around her.

She couldn't stop the full force of it affecting her and when the smoke cleared there were two things made apparent. The first one was that a shallow but wide crater had formed because of Psystrike and the other was that her Armour was cracked in many places and there were cuts on her as well. "Can you still go?" Rex asked, as if what he had exerted was completely normal.

"Yes, I can." Erza responded warily as as she got up and switched to the Flight Armour.

Once again they began their high speed battle but Rex was clearly the more dominate fighter as he had already attacked Erza three times before she could try and lay a hand on him. She tried to increase her speed by using Sonic Claw and Rex responded by summoning two Sacred Swords and battering away every attempt made at an attack. When they stopped their run, both sides were starting to get tired, but Erza was feeling worse than Rex.

"You're still not going to give up? Then I'll have to make you." Rex decided coolly and crouched low before delivering a Drain Punch into her stomach and began healing himself. Then he followed that up with a Focus Punch and nearly sent Erza through a row of trees but stopped her with Psychic and flung her back to him.

It was dawning on her that she had no choice, mainly because he was stronger but it was also because that Forme also had a psychological effect on him as well and she was naturally worried. "Rex... are you still there? As in the real you? Has this Forme made you feel like a different person?" She asked.

Rex considered it for a moment. "Yeah, but I'm fine now. It's just first time nerves Erza, so come on I want finish this!" He said with a smile and Erza relaxed, satisfied with that response. "**Assist.**" This time Moonblast sailed straight for Erza but she dodged it and Requipped into her Flame Empress Armour then sent out a wave of fire at Rex and he created a psychic barrier that the flames danced around but didn't penetrate.

Rex then fired a Tri-Blast, one part Ice, one part Fire and the other part Electric. It was held together by an invisible ring and Erza was slowly pushed back under the force of the move. When the attack ceased she had been pushed back several metres and then felt herself being lifted into the air and then her armour began closing in on her body. "I didn't want to do this, but I'm going to."

Erza struggled to break free, and was reminded of her fight against Jose and the Shade Entangle spell, but unlike that time Rex slowly increased the pressure and struggling had no negative effects. She felt her body beginning to crush under the weight of the armour but let go. "I won't do that like Jose did, instead I will do this and used Stored Power. It's stronger than last time."

This time Rex created a ball of energy and threw it at Erza, which resulted in it exploding and sending out a large shockwave. When the smoke cleared there was a sight that half the people weren't expecting as Erza was lying on the ground with her Flame Empress Armour broken in many places and her breastplate shattered. The swords that accompanied the Armour were cracked in many places and Greninja hurried over. Despite her best attempts she was unable to carry on fighting.

After a few moments he raised Rex's hand. "Erza is unable to battle, which means that the winner is Rex Vermend!" Greninja announced with a grin on his face as everyone began crowding him and celebrating, at the same time Rex reverted to his normal Forme and gasped.

"Dear Arceus that was a different experience! I should use Mewtwo less often." Rex noted.

"That was absolutely amazing Rex!" "I can't believe that Titania Erza actually lost." "Am I dreaming? If so then pinch me - Ow! What was that for?" "Well you did say pinch me Natsu."

"Well whatever! I can't believe he beat Erza before I could!" Natsu whined and pouted at Rex. "Let's go Rex!" Natsu challenged.

Greninja stopped him with a quick Night Slash before dodging a blast of fire that was sent his way and began circling Natsu, using Water Shuriken to annoy him before finishing things by going in close and launching him high and fast into the air, which also activated his motion sickness.

Everyone watched as he fell back down and Gray tutted. "Idiot, does he ever learn?" Gray asked.

Mirajane was next to Rex and embracing him, knowing full well that Erza was looking at them and began scowling at the bartender who smiled sweetly at her. She let it drop, knowing full well that Mirajane got away with that sort of stuff. "I can't believe it, you won!" She smiled and held his hand.

Rex unconsciously let go of it. "Yeah, I know." He nodded, sounding distant though that was generally missed by the celebrating crowd. It was because he was reminded of his now deceased parents and the reason they died.

"Is something wrong?" Mirajane asked.

Rex shook his head. "Uh no! I was just lost in my own thoughts." He answered.

It was now that Erza managed to get up and she walked slowly over after requipping back to her Heart Kreuz Armour and looked at Rex. "I'll admit you beating me was certainly a surprise. Though in the future expect me to use some of my more interesting Armour next time we fight." She promised and Rex nodded.

**Next Time on Guardian Fairy - Episode Alpha Part 1**


	15. Episode Alpha Part 1

**Nothing much to say except that this is going to be a two part mini arc with a special appearance from a member of the Guild and something really cool that I want to do. It would only be worth writing two parts any way. Also, if you think Rex as Mewtwo was insane/unstable... I think that he is only the tip of the iceberg.**

**Rex: **Oh boy, I got to face the Magic Council and face up to my actions that I took during the Guild War, including my defeat of the Jupiter Cannon, Aria and my lengthy fight against Jose. So yeah the truth had to come out - sorry Dialga, Palkia, Father. Questioning and answering took several days and initially they didn't believe it, despite me warning about how it would seem impossible.

Not too long after I was helping the Guild and Natsu requested a fight with me, so I beat him in one hit and got challenged by Erza of all people! It was a long fight and fairly even until I used the power of Mewtwo - and it felt really odd like there was some sort of instinct to fight and do nothing else. I think that's something to be used sparingly.

* * *

**Chapter 15: Episode Alpha Part 1**

**Spear Pillar**

Palkia and Dialga were keeping an eye on Rex and with their other eye they kept a hold of spacetime and Arceus. When Rex first met him Arceus was weak but could still move about a fair bit, but sudden movements were out of the question. Now Arceus rarely moved and instead communicated almost exclusively through telepathy and that made both of them increasingly nervous about when exactly he would pass away. Dialga could estimate, however there were so many variables that the result kept changing and forced himself to ignore it. Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf were also present.

_How much progress has Rex made?_ Arceus spoke towards the pair of them who turned their attention fully towards their creator, both startled suddenly by the question.

"It's been about a month since Rex joined Fairy Tail and in that time he managed to acquire four additional Plates, taking his total number to 9, not including his Normal Forme." Dialga reported and sent images of some of the key points in his journey to Arceus. "He's also got himself entangled with Fairy Tail and I think that he's falling in love with one of the Mages, which I fear will distract him from his objective."

Palkia looked at his twin brother and nodded in agreement. "As much as I agree with you Dialga, we can't interfere with his quest and find the Plates for him. It may hinder him, it may help him. Only time will tell." Palkia finished, smiling at the pun he made, even if it was unintentional.

Dialga looked at him and scowled. "Thanks for that. What worries me is that recently he had to reveal his objective to the Magic Council, and from the look of things as well as his own feelings and body language their is something funny going on, I'm sorry Arceus." Dialga bowed slightly and Palkia followed suit out of respect for Arceus.

The Alpha Pokemon raised his head slightly before he responded. _Do not worry Dialga, I suppose it was inevitable that it would happen. Palkia, are the other Legendaries aware of this?_ Arceus asked Palkia.

The space dragon sweated nervously. "Almost all of them are aware and we've had a mixed reception. First off whatever thoughts that the Legendary bird trio had had were overruled by Lugia, who makes it clear that she supports the idea. Mewtwo is neutral to it and Mew wholeheartedly agrees."

"Concerning the Johto legendaries the dog trio generally agree with your decision and Ho-Oh is somewhat weary about this, I think this was after learning that has signature attack destroys an important building. Celebi thinks that you have decided to reincarnated yourself as a human, which doesn't make sense but she is kinda weird."

"No word from the legendary golem trio I'm afraid. Kyogre and Groudon nearly got into a fight not because of your decision but because of the fact that Rex used the power of Groudon before Kyogre and Rayquaza intervened. By the way he also agrees with the decision. The Lati twins agree with the decision, Jirachi is currently in another long sleep and Deoxys is undergoing hibernation for 10 cosmic years on a distant unknown island. How long is a cosmic year anyway?" Palkia asked crossly.

Dialga made a calculation. "1 cosmic year is approximately 3.142 human years, according to him."

"Right, so now this regions deities. Giratina supports the idea and is taking an interest in Rex, hopefully not to manipulate him in any way. Cresselia and Darkrai both support the idea though the latter has issues about it being a human." Palkia added and an awkward silence fell. "Heatran appears as if he couldn't care less, as long as he isn't bothered he agrees and Regigigas doesn't like it but understands why it had to be done. The Shaymin group are hesitant, which is understandable."

"In Unova, surprisingly both Zekrom and Reshiram agrees. It should come to no surprise that the Swords of Justice agree with you Arceus. Kyurem strongly objects to this for personal reasons and I don't blame him. No word on Thundurus or Tornadus, but Landorus will support you all the way so I guess it is something. Meloetta also supports you, and the Genesect Army are neutral to the idea. Red threatened to blast me if I didn't get out of his personal space - he really needs to learn some manners." Palkia grumbled before carrying on.

"And finally Kalos. The life trio all support the idea as long as Rex can control himself. Diancie had pledged to stand by you Arceus, so it's probably something formal. Hoopa, I can't find him so I have no idea. His portals are a headache to locate and shut down regardless." Palkia admitted as he finished off his story.

_Hmm, so what is happening with Rex right now?_

Palkia created a viewing portal out of space and showed it to Arceus. "Here he is. At the construction sight for the new and improved Guild Hall - though right now he is dozing off for some reason. Maybe it had something to do with a dream he had?" Palkia guessed and Arceus went back to his resting position.

* * *

**Fairy Tail Guild Hall**

Currently whilst the reconstruction was still going on Rex sat a desk, dozing and then suddenly awakening again for a moment before lulling himself back to sleep again. It had been four days since the fight with Erza and the effect of using Mewtwo was more or less gone but it still unnerved him to think about it. Though that was something minor in comparison to his sleep troubles he had had the previous two nights.

"Is something wrong?" Mirajane asked with concern as she walked over.

Rex didn't open his eyes but turned his head to face her. "Mmm? Yeah... last two nights... rough sleep... need something to wake up... like strong coffee." He managed to get out before snoring gently.

Mirajane couldn't help but giggle, as seeing his facial expression be one of desperation. "Sugar and milk?" She asked innocently and Rex opened his eyes at the idea of Mirajane making coffee.

"Black and two sugars." Rex said quickly.

Mirajane nodded and went to the basement floor to get it, but as she entered she turned around and faced the Mage who followed her. It turned out to be Erza and still had a few bandages on as she nearly recovered from her duel. "Is there something you wanted to ask me Erza?" She asked as she began getting his coffee ready.

Erza remained quiet for a while before speaking in a hushed tone in case anyone listened to them. "Mira, I know that you flirted with Rex when I-" She hesitated, still unable to say the word. "-when he won against me, and I know for a fact that you did it on purpose to insult me since I couldn't move at that point in time." She said accusingly.

Mirajane paused while the water began to boil. "I don't know what you mean Erza. You're imagining it." She lied, waving it away.

Erza was not fooled. "We both know exactly what I mean Mirajane." She added sharply as the bartender took a mug and began putting coffee beans in it, and Mirajane stopped when she heard her full name. "It was right after the battle when everyone went to celebrate his victory you purposefully and willingly hugged him in front of everyone. That was also within several feet of me as well." The Fairy Queen stated.

Mirajane poured out the hot water, though she realised that there was no hiding it. "You never miss a beat do you _Erza_?" She noted and spat the last word out sharply.

Erza's gazed then softened. "I also know for a fact that you've felt differently over the past few days. Does that mean your Satan Soul is coming back?" She asked and Mirajane didn't answer directly and averted her gaze. "It isn't yet, though it is very close."

Mirajane nodded reluctantly. "The Master is also aware of this too and kept it a secret from the others. I think Elfman suspects this as well but neither of us have the courage to talk about it." She admitted with a sigh and felt her whole body heaving with emotions as she added two teaspoons of sugar to the coffee and left it there. Mirajane then spotted Erza trying to quietly sneak the coffee away from her and she gently slapped her armoured hand. "Nice try Erza."

"Here you go." The bartender said as Rex opened his eyes.

He quickly picked up the mug. "Thank you Mira, you're a lifesaver!" This was said rather quickly as began downing the coffee in small gulps. Another bonus of the Plates was as a result he could cope with heat and cold better - including things like a hot drink or really spicy foods.

"So what's making you so tired?" Mirajane asked as Erza sat opposite to him, deliberately next to her.

"I was going to ask him the same thing Mira." She blatantly lied and they gave each other a scowl.

Rex was too busy drinking his coffee to notice. "Well it's a weird one because it doesn't make a lot of sense. Of course that sounds stupid since a dream usually is weird. But it felt different compared to most others, it felt real. It starts off with me underwater in my normal Forme and despite that I'm dry. Then it goes to a cave and I eventually come across a blue source of light that engulfs me and I end up with the body of something... I don't know what it looks like but it loves water. And that's it." He explained after he had finished downing his coffee. Rex belched quietly and put his hand over his stomach, feeling better. "I wake up and each time I sleep it keeps happening."

"Did something happen that made you think about it?" Erza guessed and the three of them knew what she meant. She was referring to their duel and how Rex was much colder at the end of it with Mewtwo.

"Nothing during that. I think it had something to do with using the Splash Plate and your Sea Empress Armour." Rex responded and gave a loud yawn, not forgetting his manners this time and then began staring at Mirajane as if searching for something different about her before turning to Erza.

The white haired bartender looked as she saw Makarov clearing his throat and she suddenly remembered something. Mirajane then quickly got up and move towards a covered object whilst Makarov got everyone's attention by flaring his Light Magic. "I'm glad to say that the board job has now reopened!" She announced and there was a rush of people who wanted to get to the jobs posted on their.

"Wow I can't believe that everyone was so eager to get back to doing jobs." Lucy observed, raising her eyebrows. "Mira, have you heard from Loke? I want to thank him for finding my keys." She asked and was worried after Mirajane shook her head in reply. This thing about him avoiding her and Celestial Mages in general was really beginning to worry her.

Unfortunately her thoughts were quickly interrupted by the sound of two pairs of footsteps but they were accompanied by a flying cat. Natsu, Gray and Happy each had a job request in their hands, though they were all different from each other. "Hey Luce! Wanna go on this job with me?" Natsu asked and held up a flyer that wanted Mages to get rid of some bandits.

"Don't be such an idiot check this job out Lucy." Gray implored as he shoved another piece of paper in her face, so she couldn't see what the job was.

"What if she wants to come with me on this one?" Happy asked and held up his job, which unsurprisingly was fish related.

"Don't be such an idiot Gray she obviously wants to go with me!" Natsu interjected and ignored Happy as he glared fiercely at Gray.

"Yeah right! Like she'd ever go with a flaming idiot who always gets beat up." Gray sneered and they headbutt each other.

"You liiiiike heeer." Happy added, teasing both of them.

"That's ridiculous Happy!" They both cried out in unison before realising they said the same thing and the same time and it devolved into another petty argument. A minute later though that argument was broken up by the fact that a table slammed into the pair. Happy flew out of the way only to end up buried between Lucy's boobs.

"Say that again Laxus!" Erza shouted. For once her anger wasn't actually directed at the pair of them for getting into a foolish scuffle, rather it was directed at him.

Laxus had quietly slipped into the Guild Hall and drew the attention by calling everyone weak and pathetic, which prompted Erza to throw a table at him but he avoided it easily. "I made it clear that you're all pathetic weaklings. Especially you two idiots over there." He added, pointing towards Jet and Droy who both hung their head in shame. "I can't believe that the two of you got beat up by Phantom. And as for the little princess over here, isn't she the cause of all this? What the hell is she doing here?" Laxus asked insultingly and Lucy looked really upset.

Natsu got pissed, Erza looked really angry at this point and Mirajane was getting irritated by his behaviour. "Stop this Laxus! We all agreed that Lucy was not to blame for any of this!" She said loudly.

Laxus appeared to either not notice or just didn't care about it. "You were all lucky that you won the Guild War against Phantom Lord. If I were there it would be over just like that, but instead you had one really pathetic drawn out battle. When I start running the Guild then there wouldn't be any room for people like you!" He declared and Mirajane now looked visibly shocked at this. Rex quietly got up, after Laxus crossed the line with the remark about Phantom Lord.

"Laxus you bastard!" Natsu shouted and Laxus began laughing, with sparks flashing around him.

"Laxus... Shut up. Don't even talk about the Phantom Lord like you were there. At least Mystogan turned up and encouraged everyone not fighting the Element Four and Jose to keep going even though their efforts were in vain." Rex shouted the first part out loud and caught everyone's attention before saying it calmly and in such a way that made the other members look on in shock as they saw he was actually saying that.

"Shouldn't you stop him?" Cana asked Greninja.

"No, he can handle it." Greninja replied and was also fearful of Laxus for good reason. Electricity and water do not mix.

Laxus did not expect anyone to snap back at him and his mocking demeanour turned to anger. "What the hell are you saying, you punk?" He snarled at Rex as electricity flared around him and he glared at Rex with the intent to intimidate him into submission.

Rex didn't crack up under the gaze and instead replied, "I said, Blondie, that an arrogant airhead like you has no hope of ever becoming the Master of Fairy Tail Guild. Erza or Mystogan would be far more suited for the job, hell even I would. But you? Never in a million years Blondie." Came the swift, piercing retort as he activated the Earth Plate. "Go ahead, take your best lightning charged shot, you won't hit me." Rex continued, egging him on deliberately.

Laxus stood up furiously. "You're gonna regret saying that in my face!" He shouted and summoned a large lightning bolt that crashed down on Rex and lit his whole body like a beacon. Laxus initially had a triumphant grin on his face but it quickly disappeared when he realised that Rex wasn't moving an inch and looked as if he wasn't fazed.

"Is THAT supposed to hurt me?" Rex asked, and it was his turn to smirk in an insulting way.

"Why don't you shut your stupid face!" Laxus spat back and unleashed a stronger bolt of lightning at Rex who once again remained unchanged.

"Done yet? Good." Rex replied before ramming him into the wall with Flame Charge, and was surrounded by the now familiar aura of a stat change briefly. This was followed up by a Drill Run which also scored a critical hit and Laxus crashed through a table or two.

"When I become the Guild Master you'll be the first to disappear!" Laxus roared as he quickly appeared behind Rex and punched him with a lightning enhanced fist, but was met by an Ice Punch. None of the Guild members knew what was more impressive. Rex surviving one of Laxus' attacks or actually managing to hit him which was an almost impossible feat unless you were S-Class.

Laxus unleashed another wave of lightning that lifted Rex and he crashed down into another table as he made the decision not to switch to the Sky Plate otherwise he would lose his immunity to electric based attacks. He did consider using Lightning Rod or Volt Absorb or even Motor Drive but decided that using the Earth Plate was the easiest thing to do.

Looking up Rex saw that Laxus was standing over him, looking down angrily. "You better hope you regret making me angry because I could easily take you down!" He declared and threw a fast punch that Rex barely blocked in time and Laxus kept throwing punches that broke through his defence and hit him in the gut each time. "DON'T. EVER. CROSS. ME!" Laxus shouted with each punch and then was pushed back with a Mud Bomb to the face.

Rex then attacked with a Cross Chop and followed it up with a Jump Kick, and Laxus held fast. The blonde Mage then blasted Rex with a bit of his Magic before punching him again and making him stumble backwards. Just as he was about to move in Makarov prevented the fight from getting out of hand and squashed both of them with his Titan Magic.

"That's enough, both of you!" Makarov ordered sharply. "No fighting, especially now of all times."

"I don't care old man! I won't let this slide!" Laxus contested hotly.

Makarov put his foot down relatively speaking. "Laxus you will back off right now or I will be your opponent. The same goes for you Rex!" He barked out as he looked at the other person squashed underneath his Titan Magic.

Both of them scowled at each other and gave the other a fierce look before giving up their efforts to strain and wriggle out of his hands. "Fine, but you're going to regret this." Laxus threatened Rex, now frustrated at why he didn't simple chicken out when under pressure.

"_You_ are going to be the sorry one when he fight one day, I can guarantee it." Rex promised as he stared coolly straight back at Laxus. When they both were released the blonde haired Mage looked on sourly and pretended to be disinterested as he picked up his special pair of headphones before disappearing using his Lightning Body. The Guardian then turned to Makarov. "I'm sorry about all of that."

Makarov looked at him, briefly surprised and then shook his head. "You're not entirely to blame for my grandson's attitude towards the rest of Guild. I suppose I have some small responsibility for what's happened to him, he was much nicer when he was younger. Then Laxus became a teenager and..." Makarov trailed off.

Rex then realised what he had just said. "Hang on a second. Grandson?!" He cried out in disbelief.

Makarov gave a wry smile. "Now you see why it gives me headaches. I've considered the next possible Guild Master. Gildarts has plenty of power but really doesn't like the paperwork. Mystogan is relatively unknown by most in the Guild, in other words he's too much of a recluse. As for Erza, she can lead but she is a bit too young for the job." He admitted and that caused Rex to wonder about the possibility of him being Guildmaster. "I'm not sure how the Council would feel if you were to become the next Master of Fairy Tail." Makarov added, having caught the look on his face and the two of them began to chuckle at the prospect of it.

Erza walked up to it and she got their attention. "A word with you Rex. I want you to accompany me on this job." She asked and presented him with a flyer for the job. It had a picture of Bluebell Town on it and the words on the flyer said Help Me on it. What drew his attention to it was that there was big fat red S stamp on it and the reward was 10 million Jewels.

"Wait... an S-Class request?!" Rex cried out loud and quickly covered his mouth when he saw an angry Natsu and put out Gray walk over towards them along with Lucy and Happy.

"Why does he get to go on this with you? I've been at Fairy Tail longer!" Natsu protested vocally. Gray didn't say anything though his look indicated that he agreed with the pink haired Dragon Slayer.

"Well I for one am glad that we aren't going along with them." Lucy added with a sigh of relief. They had chosen a less dangerous job.

"She liiiiikes you." Happy teased her and tried to run away after Erza gave him a look but was unsuccessful as she caught up with him in seconds and hit him hard on the head. He returned with a dazed look on his face and slowly flew into Lucy's arms. She held him, too nervous to speak to Erza.

"The reason he is going is because I asked him. Don't you have a nice safe job to do with Lucy?" Erza reminded them and they groaned when they realised that she wouldn't let them go on.

"On the bright side, at least you get to spend some quality time with Rex Erza." Cana added as she came over.

Everyone heard her words and they turned their heads to the group of people standing there and Erza felt herself blushing furiously, and Rex did as well. In an attempt to save face Erza glared at Cana, and that glare was somewhat subdued by her embarrasment. "We are not going to do anything of the sort!" She blurted.

"That's ridiculous!" Rex protested at the same time.

"Whatever you say lovebirds." Cana dismissed it and went over to Mirajane, before being accompanied by Lucy, Levy and Mirajane. She whispered something to the three of them before they began bursting out with laughter, and Lucy was the only one to look horrified at the prospect.

Erza began walking towards her before Rex laid a hand on her shoulder. "Let it slide Erza, we have a job to do." He reminded.

She looked back at him and was surprised at how he managed to handle the situation maturely despite blushing a few moments ago and she pursed her lips. "Very well. Have you been to where I live?" Erza asked and from the corners of her eyes saw that the girls were whispering again, and then chuckled when Rex nodded and suddenly felt a lot more at ease than normal and they began walking up towards a place known as Fairy Hills. On the way, she tried to speak to him a few times but couldn't work up the courage for some reason.

"This it?" He asked.

Fairy Hills is a large and mildly imposing building composed of bricks. It consists of a central, elongated section at whose sides sit two wings protruding outwards, with the one to the center's right acting as the main entrance, which takes the form of a double door with a pyramid-shaped upper part topped by a similarly pyramid-shaped roof, held up by wooden beams. Enforcing the multitude of standard bricks on the edges and marking rectangular sections in the central part are larger, lighter bricks lined up in vertical rows, with light beams instead marking sections horizontally. The front part of the building possesses a porch adorning the central part, with a steep tiled roof split in sections by beams being held up by simply wooden pillars paired with arcs.

The two wings are each adorned by small numbers of large, arched windows, while the central section's windows are similar in design, but noticeably smaller and more numerous. Each section possesses an elongated, pitched roof composed of tiles; the wings, beneath such roof, have round windows adorning their top part. Sitting in front of the entrance, held up by two pillars composed of stone and bricks, flanking the pathway leading to the building, and each topped by the sculpture of a stylized Fairy Tail's symbol, is a large, mildly arched sign reading "Fairy Hills" in sober, elongated dark characters.

Erza let out a baits breath. "Yes, this is my place of residence - Fairy Hills. It is exclusively home to the female members of the Guild and the rent here is 100,000 Jewel a month. I currently have 5 rooms in there and that is not including the place where I rest." She explained as they looked up at it.

Rex paled in surprise at the announcement. "Is that in addition to the Armours you can Requip into?" He asked.

They entered the lobby. The lobby sits right behind the main entrance. It is an elongated room which possesses wooden floor and ceiling, and its walls, enforced by beams, are composed of bricks in their lower part. To the entrance's right sits the wooden counter, complete with a flowerpot, a lamp and some stationery. Behind it, a door is visible, leading to an unknown room or a closet, and not far a small picture is secured to the wall, with a large door without shutters leading to an unspecified room to the right. In front of the counter is a carpet with intricately decorated edges, over which sits a short table with round edges, with its central part covered by a rhomboidal ornamental tablecloth. Adjacent to the table was a long sofa and a couch and behind that was a small bookshelf.

"That's right. I should show you my rooms." Erza said and she lead him to her rooms. They were plain rooms with a carpet running through it above the wooden floor and lining the sides were armours on body casts that could be seen in shops. Whilst Rex was looking at some of them Erza went on ahead and the room began shaking.

"Dear Arceus! You look like a Polyformer!" Rex gaped as Erza was now wearing what could easily be called her largest and heaviest armour, with only her head and neck being visible as well as a large scythe weapon. It was so heavy the floor began sinking but she put it away. "Er, Erza? What do you put in your suitcases?" He asked, having thought if something all of a sudden.

When she realised that he meant her other Armours exclusively Erza shook her head frantically. "No no no no no! It isn't armour, at least most of it isn't." She admitted guiltily and they eventually came to her main room.

This one was a lot more lavish and different from the rooms that housed her armours. There was a large king sized four poster bed with golden wooden pillars that held up the round bed with a velvet coloured duvet and fluffy pillows that were lilac coloured. The curtains surrounding it were deep red with golden string at the end.

There was also a tall window that looked over towards the beach area of Fairy Hills that was a rectangle with a half circle on top of it and a mini circle window on it. Two of them hung up across from the bed. Adjacent to the right was a desk with several large mirrors and a number of objects, some of which were gifts and trinkets from jobs that she had previously undertaken. To its right was the large horn that Erza got the day she first met Rex. Opposite that was a large bookcase with five rows of books that were mostly the same size.

In the middle was a three layered crystal chandelier with lights in the crystal powered by a lacrima. "Oh wow Erza, this room is huge! Those job do pay don't they?" Rex gasped in awe and Erza felt herself smile at that remark of approval.

"Thank you. I thought that you might help me with packing up before we set off tomorrow." Erza suggested and Rex nodded in agreement, not realising what he was getting himself into. They spent the next 4 hours going through a large wardrobe that contained so many of Erza's clothes that Rex nearly drowned under a pile of them. "What about this one Rex?" She asked eagerly. "Rex?" Erza looked around in confusion.

It was then that Levy entered the room and carried a bunch of books that Erza wanted. "Getting ready for tomorrow Erza? Well good luck and take your time with Rex." She added mischievously and set the books by the bookshelf.

Erza flushed furiously and knew that they were still going on about her and Rex being together and glared at Levy. "Anyway... thank you for the books Levy." She replied and then looked around the room. "Have you seen Rex anywhere? He was supposed to be helping me pack for the job but I can't find him."

Levy passed up the opportunity to comment and shook her head. "Nope, sorry. Don't enjoy them too much Erza." She winked at her, obviously referring to the novels she bought. Unfortunately for her Erza had had enough with the teasing and threw her out in anger. Cana and Bisca were both washing and their jaws dropped as they picked up Levy and quietly carried her away.

Erza heard a muffled groan and quickly saw that it came from underneath the pile of clothes. "Hold on I'm coming!" She panicked and quickly threw the clothes all over the room until she came across him, unconscious and she began shaking him frantically. "Rex, wake up!" She shouted as she shook him and Rex then coughed and gasped as he began taking air in his lungs.

"Thank you for noticing now Erza." He grumbled. "Where were we?"

"These clothes that are now all over the place." Erza answered quietly.

"Not to worry, I know what to do." Rex waved it off as he used Psychic to arrange them into several neat piles next to the bed and then noticed the pile of books beside the bookcase. "That's a lot of books. You know Erza, I wasn't expecting you to be the sort who actually reads."

Erza was busy looking for her hairbrush. "Well few of them actually belong to me. Levy gives me some of them when she doesn't need them anymore." She admitted and began brushing a few stray strands of hair out of the way and neatening them up again.

Rex picked up on and peeked curiously at one of them. He grew really red as he realised that it was a smut novel and quickly put it back down and made his way to her and watched her brush her hair. "Need some help with that?" Rex asked gently and Erza almost instinctively gave her the hairbrush.

_Why did I do that? I don't usually get this nervous. _Erza thought and still remained nervous as Rex began brushing and then realised he was doing it quietly and was mulling over something, and that only served to pique her interest as to what his whole history was. She saw him sitting the hairbrush down and just looking at it. "Scarlet, like your surname." Rex said aloud, forgetting that she was there.

"Yes, it was given to me by a friend." Erza replied and his eyes shot up, as if searching for something when he looked at her. For a moment she wondered if he knew about her past. It was reasonable.

"I didn't realise that the sun was setting already. Well I've gotta go to my place otherwise they might worry about me and what exactly I was doing. They would never let me hear the end of it." Rex sighed and shook his head, before quickly heading back out of Fairy Hills with Erza guiding him. "Thank you." He smiled at her and she smiled back at him and watched him switch to the Sky Plate and fly with him.

Erza let out a breath and watched as his form got smaller. She still wondered if he figured out what had happened to her and wanted to know how if he did in deed. _Do I have feelings for him though? Are the others right?_ Erza thought to herself as she slowly walked back to her room and saw the entrance to it open and naturally got suspicious. She took two steps before jumping through and seeing that it was just Levy, Cana, Bisca, Laki and even Mirajane was there. "What are you doing here?" The redhead demanded.

Cana smirked. "We were listening and wondering what happened. So what did happen?" She asked, sprawled on the bed with Mirajane and Levy.

"I'd like him to see my room for sure!" Laki proclaimed adamantly.

"So you can steal him away from Erza?" Levy teased and the girls sans Erza all began giggling at the prospect.

"There is nothing between us! And we were only helping each other prepare for the job!" Erza defended their actions vehemently.

"Oh? So why was there silence Erza?" Bisca asked and Erza saw that her eyes were curious. All the other girls fell silent at this too.

"I sort of let him brush my hair and he made a passing comment about the colour of it. That's all!" Erza replied truthfully though was still being embarrased by them.

They all looked a little disappointed. "Oh, well that was a shame." Bisca mused as they all filed out and Erza was blushing even more at the thought of them imagining things.

* * *

**Magnolia Station - The Next Day 6:00 AM**

Rex sat alone with only his two tone bag to carry on him. Like himself it had also undergone some changes, and was now white, with a red outline and a golden pokeball with a green button. _Man, it's nice for once to be at a train station without having to listen to Natsu or Gray shouting at each other and Happy making fun of Lucy. _He thought, with his eyes closed to let him simply admire some of the sounds around him that he would normally not get to thanks to the bickering duo. The sounding of rolling wheel caught his attention and Rex quickly opened his eyes to see Erza coming towards him, with a giant pile of luggage. "One day you're going to have to learn how to travel light." Rex suggested.

"That day can wait. So are you ready?" Erza asked as he stood up.

"Yep. Six years of travelling has taught me to travel light and be ready to get up at any time." Rex replied as they boarded the train after Erza instructed one of the railguards on where to put her luggage, and he didn't look all to pleased with the prospect. Those comments were kept to himself though courtesy of Erza.

When they got on the train, Erza sat opposite Rex and was slightly annoyed by his almost distant look though it appeared to be almost a sleepy one as well and that confused her slightly. "Is something the matter?" She asked when they were out of Magnolia Town.

Rex almost jerked himself awake and sat up straight, giving Erza his undivided attention. "Hm? Oh it's just I'm thinking about a particular dream I had, a rather curious one." He admitted. "Why, is there something you want to ask Erza?"

She hesitated for a moment. "Well, I just wanted to know a bit more about you. After all, you've seen a lot of what I can do and fought me as well." She pointed out, still not quite ready to get over the fact that Rex had actually beat her in their battle.

Rex said nothing for several minutes and then relaxed and nodded. "I guess you're right about that. But I guess I should tell you that it is quite a long story so get comfortable Erza." He advised and she shifted in her seat slightly. Then Rex fiddled around several of the pockets in his back and pulled out a plain blue book with a magnetic strap. "This is a Town Map, a very useful item for a Trainer. It gives them information in the geography of practically every region out there. I was born... here in Oldale Town. Hoenn trainer, through and through. You wanna know something else about my parents?" He asked and she noted how his smile dropped slightly.

"Even though I was born in Hoenn, my father actually from Castelia City in Unova. He had to do a job there and met my mother. One thing lead to another and he ended up working in Hoenn permanently and married my mum. I grew up in Oledale Town for six years." Rex pointed out the town and Erza was listening quietly. "Then I moved to Kalos for... personal reasons and grew up there for the next six years in like a community house of sorts. When I was 12 I set out on my journey and adopted my Greninja, back then a Froakie, from a DayCare. I mainly traveled through Kalos for the next two years, spreading my time between the Gyms and seeing the sights."

"I'll admit... there were a few bumps along the way. Even though I have all the pokemon on my team you see there were more I had. My first point of frustration came from a Tyrunt and in the end I just couldn't cope with him, so I traded for an Electrike which made me feel better for a while. The next one was a Kecleon who never won a battle despite how hard he worked and was frustrated often at this, and in the end well it culminated in him running away, so I smashed his pokeball, probably for the best."

"During those two years I caught an Aron, that's the Aggron I have now and befriended Gallade and Gardevoir when they were Ralts as well as adopting an Egg that eventually hatched into a Goomy. Then, after challenging and failing to beat the Kalos League I headed off to Unova to try my luck there. Almost immediately I ran into trouble from a group known as Team Plasma and at that time my team was then Greninja, Manectric, Lairon, Kirlia, Kirlia, and Sliggoo. Fun fact, dragon pokemon are a real challenge to raise and this Goomy was no exception."

"It was during my two year stint that I spent in Unova, I saved a Rufflet from a wild Gliscor and that became the Braviary you see today. You know, it was funny seeing those two evolve at the same time in the League Tournament and then proceed to curb stomp my opponent in a battle that I will never forget. Anyway, Team Plasma were doing no good and was there at the right time to stop them, though this was before they splintered into two factions so it was a lot easier back then. When that finally stopped I got to the Unova League with a team of fully evolved pokemon and beat the Unova Champion Alder. That was the greatest day of my life." Rex grinned and began reminiscing. Erza raised her eyebrows in amazement.

"Even though trainers can only have six pokemon on a team at any one time I rotated them regularly. When it was ten years after I left Hoenn I decided to come back and during my tour of the new Oldale Town if you want to call it that I met some people who I recognised from my early years and they had a Gabite, the pre evolved form of Garchomp, who had heard stories about me and agreed to swap place with Goodra, the final form of a Goomy, and so I left Goodra in Oldale Town but could always call upon him whenever I wanted to."

Erza noted the sudden change in his tone to sadness and regret. "That year I spent back in my home region was easily the darkest year of my life for a long time. Team Magma and Team Aqua awakened Groudon and Kyogre in order to fulfil their desires and with help from a couple of old friends of mine we stopped them, though not without loss. My Manectric died to protect me and I buried him in Mt. Pyre." Rex admitted with a sombre look on his face. "I returned to Kalos and helped the Police Force there and the rest as they say is history." He finished.

Erza sat there quietly for a long time after Rex had finished his life story. It was a lot to take in and not all of it was pleasant. For starters she didn't get why he suddenly spent six years growing up in a region called Kalos or the struggle he had had with a few of the pokemon he previously owned. But she didn't ignore the great things Rex had achieved, like becoming the Unova Champion and having met many people and pokemon at the same time. "That's incredible." She said, nothing else could describe it.

Rex broke out into one of his trademark grins. "Why thank you Erza." He replied and she couldn't help but smile at it. Then looking out of his window he asked her a question. "Is this the town?" He asked.

Bluebell Town was rather large, but unlike Magnolia it was more spaced out so there looked to be roughly the same number of people living there. In the center of the town it was slightly more crowded as the Marketplace was there as well as a Church nearby that rose above all the building. The houses outside the built up area were all bungalows and had a modest sized garden including the patios and anything else that was in it. They could see out the other window the docks there too and that it was chock full of boats rocking gently in the wind. On the outskirts of the city were larger houses and gardens. It was also raining.

"Gotta say, it does look nice doesn't it Erza?" Rex asked as they got off the train and looked around, having forgotten what he told Erza on the train. "What were the instructions for the place to go to? I'll go there on my own and you can catch up with me okay?" He added and Erza nodded, though not without feeling nervous about not being around him.

Reading the flyer for instructions Rex flew into the air whilst Erza was being guided towards the White Lion Hotel in the Town and was quickly booked into a room for the night. Rex read the instructions and started out from the south side of the church and walked towards a taller building that was painted a dark grey on the outside on he quickly sent a telepathic message to Erza about how to get there.

"Uh, hello?" Rex asked as he knocked on the door.

The person who answered was a man with tan skin and short black hair that was tied back in a wolf tail at the end. His eyebrows arched and his eyes were a plain yellow. He wore an important suit what was blue and silver over a white shirt and matching blue jeans and black shoes. The neatness of it was what surprised Rex and he looked up and down for a moment before asking a question. "Are you here about the job request sent to Fairy Tail?" He asked, not recognising Rex at first.

"Yes, I came with Erza, she's busy with our luggage. My name is Rex Vermend." He introduced himself and the other guy drew his breath in sharply.

"You're that Rex Vermend, the one who suddenly started appearing in the newspaper. I'm Darren Milligan, please come in, I'll explain it to you here." Darren gestured to inside his house and Rex stepped in. Like him, it was clean and orderly and far from what he was used to. All Rex did was put them together in the same drawer without a care in the world for neatness.

His wife was slightly taller than him and had curly blonde hair. "Then you're going to have to use your study room, it's quiet there and the kids won't overhear you." She advised to him and was too late in that department. Two kids rushed in, a boy and a girl. The boy was 12 and has mousy brown hair and girl looked to be about 10 and she had blonde hair that was a dirtier shade of blonde compared to her mother.

"Dad, you got to come play with us!" They said loudly and stopped as they saw Rex looking at them. Rex smiled inwardly, it was a feasible reaction. "Who's this?"

"This is Rex Vermend, one of the Mages who is going to help us." Darren explained patiently and the kids didn't say anything back but stared at him, as if he was going to do something.

Rex hid a cunning smile and used the Mind Plate without actually transforming into it and read their minds. "If I were you I wouldn't worry about what the Council make me out to be. Their idea of the truth is different to the reality." He advised them and held back tears over seeing a family that wasn't just connected by a Guild.

"Does that mean you won't play with us?" The boy asked and shot a disapproving glare at Rex, who was riled a bit at it but decided to keep his cool for the sake of the mission.

Darren gave him a sympathetic look before turning to his son. "Unfortunately yes Luke. Look, once I've finished talking with him I'll play with you alright?" He promised before Luke nodded slowly and walked away. Darren sighed when they shut the door of the study and said, "I'm sorry about that, but he's getting a bit lippy recently. It's one of those changes that happens when he becomes a teenager."

Rex shook it away with his hand. "That's alright. Though I have to say that the job itself was very descriptive. 'Help me.'" He quoted with an amused smile on his face.

Darren gave a chuckle and nodded before launching into his explanation. Bluebell Town was well-known for its fish and was the biggest exporter in Fiore, not just inside but also outside the country as well and without the fish there simply wouldn't be a town, and people would be jobless and homeless. There were several different types of fish, with the three most prominent one being sold on the markets.

Everything had been going fine until one month ago when fishing boats came in with few to no fish for a few days. Darren admitted to not sending it out any earlier because that was perfectly normal, because the fish preferred warmer water which could be found closer to the town and it was easier for the boats to navigate and manoeuvre. But then after that there was a fish drought for a week and that made the people nervous and they began worrying about what would happen if it was any longer.

Then all of a sudden three and a half weeks ago there was no fish coming into the water, or to be more accurate there were no fish swimming in the shallower parts of the water. Darren send out a squad of Rune Knights to investigate and they found out that up until a point the fish would not go into the area as if there was some sort of invisible force repelling them. They had quickly hooked a fish and tried putting in back in the water but as soon as they did it began thrashing violently until they were free and quickly swam out past this invisible barrier.

The boats refused to go out further for two reasons, with the first being that it was too dangerous to go out. If a storm hit them then their ships could sink with out them going back on land. The other reason was a more creative one - they believe that it was cursed and did not want to go out to the shallow empty water. A second inspection by the Rune Knights also revealed that there was a deeper trench in the shallow water and that there was some sort of cave that was waiting for something because nothing could open it.

As for the townspeople they got restless and superstitious for a while before turning to the other thing that unruly people usually do in times of hardship - protest everyday outside the Town Hall where Darren worked as the mayor and he continually gave them reassurance. A week ago it started raining steadily and hadn't stopped since, with people saying that it would flood eventually and was close to doing so. It was also a week ago that he sent out the request to Fairy Tail.

"I see." Rex said when he finished his story. "Hmm, water. I wonder if it's connected to that." He mused aloud.

"You think you know who's responsible for that?" Darren asked, hope rising in his voice.

Rex shook his head. "First, what not who and second, it is just a theory. Until I go down and investigate the trench I cannot say it for certain. I'm sorry about that. Could you help me get a ship Darren?" He asked.

Darren paused. "I can certainly try, and hopefully the promise of an end to all this will help." He admitted as they went out of the study and downstairs. There they found Erza sitting down in the living room and was listening to a story that was being told by his wife.

Erza then looked at Rex. "Are you ready?" She asked. Rex nodded and explained what he had learned from Darren and what they were going to do about it.

The kids were also listening and Luke looked at Rex curiously. "What makes you think you're so sure you can handle it?" He asked sceptically and Erza felt insulted by that remark.

"That's alright Erza, I'll handle this." Rex looked at her sharply and Erza shrank back into the sofa. Then he turned his attention to Luke. "Honestly, I don't. But I have been through enough since coming to Fiore and had a near death experience already in the short time that I've been hear. If I can survive a round against Jose Porla then this should be a walk in the park." He explained coolly and Luke raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Erza then cocked her head to one side and asked a question that made Darren pale. "What's that noise?" She asked. It was quiet at first, hardly more than a whisper, but it slowly got louder and louder as if it was going to come this way.

"Already? But it's only just gone 10 in the morning!" Darren cried in frustration and then he and his wife began shutting the windows both upstairs and downstairs with the kids being ushered into their rooms and Darren let out a sigh and walked out to face the protest group, larger than last time.

It consisted of over a hundred people and they were all looking at Darren piercingly as he came out and there was a deadly silence. One person shouted, "And what pretty speech are you going to give us today? We want action not words!" He shouted and they all began echoing his sentiment with some of them shouting abuse at Darren. He swallowed and was about to say something until Rex and Erza followed him out to greet this crowd and the two of them caused a wave of silence. "And what can these two do?" That same first voice shouted.

"We can help this town. All we need is a boat to go out on." Rex replied calmly as he looked for the source of the voice.

"Ha! That'll be the day!" The angry crowd member retorted and gave Rex the finger.

Rex stood still for a moment before erupting in a blaze of golden light that made the crowd shrink back. "I would advise to keep your mouth shut unless you want to look for trouble, because I can handle pretty much anything that comes my way. I'll ask again. Is there a boat or ship we can use?"

It wasn't long before the pair of them were on a ferry used to carry passengers and on occasions fish to Hargeon Port and they began sailing towards the trench and Rex looked out at the blue sea in front of him. There was something calling out to him, and it wasn't a Plate as whatever it was felt weak but it had a commanding pull on it and then realised that he had nearly jumped in the sea. They arrived about an hour later to a patch of the sea that looked slightly darker in comparison to the other area.

"So here's the plan Erza. I've established a telepathic link between us so that we can keep in contact. If it suddenly breaks off for whatever reason or I cry out for help then follow me down to the trench and help me. I'm going alone." He announced and Erza felt nervous again.

"Are you sure that's a good thing?" Erza asked, and her tone suggested that she wanted to come with him.

Rex looked at her and nodded. "Yes, because you'll end up taking charge if anything happens to me." He pointed out before changing Forme and using the Splash Plate. Rex smiled at Erza and dove into the water, feeling the icy cold chill. Thankfully Rex also had the chanhed the current ability to Thick Fat and that helped protect him from the cold even further. He propelled himself towards the trench with Aqua Jet and stopped when he got closer.

The trench itself was about several metres wide and went on deeper for a kilometre. Rex noted how eerie it felt without the fish swimming through and only plant life, not that there was any. His attention was drawn to what looked like a sealed cavern with some writing on it and Rex touched it, trying to understand it's language. _Holy Arceus! _He gasped as he felt a jolt of energy rush through his arm.

_Is something wrong? _Erza asked quickly.

_No Erza, I think I understand. I have to use enough force to open it._ Rex noted in reply and moved away from it a bit as he considered what move to use. No way would he be using an Electric type attack and a Fire move wouldn't work well either. His movements in water were slowed as well so he would have to use a ranged move. After using Calm Mind, Rex unleashed an underwater Aeroblast.

There was a burst of force that pushed Rex away slightly but he saw that the entrance had parted to reveal a tunnel passage that was more than wide enough for a person to go through that was lit up by bioluminescence and Rex swam through it. It dipped down for a while before levelling out and slowly rising until there was a reflection of underneath and Rex surfaced.

"Some sort of underground cave is what I'm in right now. A cave lit up by two torches." Rex told Erza and he quickly switched to the Flame Plate when he got out and cloaked himself in fire for a few seconds before noticing something about the door to the entrance. Observing the eye for a moment he shot a Flame Burst at it and then it opened with a creak.

_It looks as if it hadn't been opened in years despite this being a recent thing. _Erza remarked and Rex grunted in agreement and he turned to a torch on the wall and though about picking it up but thought that there was some sort of trap and decided not to, instead opting to use Flash to illuminate the cave and created a floating white orb of gentle light. The next room looked like a puzzle with a number of arrows on the floor that pointed in on of the four directions.

Some of the squares were blank and Rex knew that he had to avoid those ones. "This is the part where I have to get across and only narrowly do so." He muttered and Erza couldn't help but chuckle at that. Rex concentrated and worked out several possible routes before choosing the right hand tile and began walking down it. The path he chose made him go from one side to the other twice but he eventually got to the other side without a problem.

"Hah, piece of cake." Rex spread his arms out, confidence boosting.

The next room was a larger one and there was a platform of some sort and a few pillars to hop across. "Is this some sort of battleground?" Rex queried as he cautiously hopped onto the platform and jerked around as he saw the pillars collapsing and threw a punch in the air, only to meet some sort of invisible barrier.

A noise made him turn and he saw that water began gathering to form a snake like being that looked very realistic and it turned its head towards Rex. "Ah, do I have to beat this thing?" He asked rhetorically and his fists were lit up by a Fire Punch. They both charged forwards and Rex threw his first punch only for it to go right through the water snake and extinguish itself out.

"What the?" He managed before the snake whipped its tail at him and lunged forwards with the obvious intention to bite him. Rex jumped up and threw one Gear Grind at it, but the attack simply left a wound that quickly healed and the snake gave an amused hiss before spitting a dark coloured liquid at Rex who shielded himself with protect.

Rex then summoned a Sacred Sword and slashed hard at the middle of the body, cutting the creature in two and writhed in agony for a few seconds before the parts reconnected to form one whole again. "Crap!" Rex swore as the tail swished at him, but this time the water was rock hard and he slammed against the barrier which shocked him hard.

_Are you OK Rex? _Erza asked urgently.

"Yeah I'm fine, I just need to work out some sort of plan to actually beat him." Rex growled in response and a torrent of water shaped like a fang shot out of the mouth and grew larger as it got closer to Rex who then shot forwards with Aqua Jet and both of them collided. He tried to get out of the water and the snake tried to pull him back but eventually he won their struggle and Rex stumbled to the floor.

Sensing its apparent advantage the snake shot out its water fang again but Rex was ready for it and froze it with Ice Beam before headbutting it with Iron Head. "Hah! Try that on for size!" Rex shouted triumphantly and the snake was surprised to see it shatter and scattered into many pieces, some of which fell into the water. Feeling empowered by that last move Rex froze a part of the body and separated it with Sacred Sword.

Since it couldn't alter the toughness of the frozen water the pieces shattered and the snake had to shrink a bit in order to regrow the lost body parts and for once it looked worried as if it might actually lose. Rex began going on the offensive and used Ice Beam, but the snake jumped into the air and morphed into something that vaguely resembled Braviary but was not quite there.

"**Icicle Spear!**" Rex said and fired five successive spears of ice at the water bird who dived down to avoid them. It then turned towards Rex and outstretched its talons with intent to harm him and Rex rolled on the ground to avoid being picked up and presumably dragged against the barrier. The bird then dived down again, this time with its wings stretched out and Rex braced himself before striking with Power Up Punch.

Then he was surprised to see it soften and then harden again with him in his grasp and then proceeded to drag him against the barrier and he growled as he felt it sting against him like a million Poison Stings all at once. "Let go of me birdbrain!" Rex snarled and then used Thunderbolt to light himself along with the bird up in a brilliant yellow colour.

The bird screeched in pain and fell to the floor, with the impact of it turning it to a sticky liquid state. Rex saw his chance and froze the bird entirely with Ice Beam and then shattered it with a Focus Blast. That did the trick as there was a suddenly light gust of wind that blew through the area and the barrier presumably fell. Rex carried on and felt it pull him harder and he forced himself to his knees.

_Is something wrong? _Erza asked urgently.

_It's just some sort of influence that has been calling out to me and it's getting stronger. _Rex replied and began cautiously walking forwards and entered what looked like the final room with a staircase leading up to some sort of platform but whatever was on it was the source of the pulling that Rex had experienced. _Hey Erza, wanna see things from my perspective?_ He asked Erza.

_You can do that? _Erza asked in reply, shocked and Rex concentrated for a few minutes and then Erza let out a small gasp of surprise, and then Rex jerked his head to one side on purpose. _Don't do that! _She said out loud and Rex chuckled before allowing Erza to see out of her own eyes again.

"Hmm, though I wonder what is at the top of this place though?" Rex asked out loud and carried on walking upwards. When he got to the top he saw an altar with a strange round glowing object. For some reason that gave him a terrible feeling but that feeling skyrocketed when he got closer. "Wait... WHAT THE HELL IS THAT DOING HERE?" Rex shouted out loud and felt his anger rising quickly, and then it was extinguished when he felt the object exert it's influence on him and he tried to stop himself from touching it.

_Rex, what is going on? Is something the matter? _Erza shouted in his mind and felt a sharp pain as the telepathic link was cut off abruptly and felt the shock of it and she fell onto the deck. Erza quickly stood up and looked into the water, sensing something wrong. Then lightning split the air and thunder could be heard as the rain got heavier.

"We have to turn back ma'am, it's too dangerous now that a storm is kicking up!" The captain said in a raised voice.

"But we can't leave him here!" Erza argued. "And besides, I think it's too late for that." She pointed out as she heard a rumble from beneath. Nobody moved as the ship tossed and turned save for those who tried to stop it from capsizing, and then the water calmed down a little.

Then in front of their eyes everyone saw a geyser of water shoot out and spiral around someone, that someone could only be Rex of course but he looked different and his expression was one of calm that threatened to fly apart at any minute.

Rex had long spiky blue hair and his eyes were golden yellow. His arms were a dark shade of blue and the dark blue spread and stopped at his fingers which were white. Rex wore a set of dark blue armless armour with yellow golden lines on the shoulder and there were two oval shapes, with one on each side and on his arms were another set of golden lines that resembled an Unown A. At the back of his armour were 4 long dark blue trails with a golden yellow stripe in the center. He wore a pair of dark blue sandals and his legs were dark blue with golden yellow lines on it.

"What is that thing?" The captain gasped in surprise.

"That thing is Rex, and I don't know what the Forme is!" Erza said and didn't move.

Rex observed the boat before letting out a loud earpierceing screech that made everyone flinch. Then orbs of water began rising and surrounded him. It didn't take a genius to know that his target was the boat. What did alarm Erza though was the fact that they began glowing a bright light and she could feel it from here.

"**Requip!**" Erza cried and she was now wearing her Sea Empress Armour and shot a wave of water at him. It was no match for the Origin Pulse though as it broke through and assaulted the boat. Erza shielded herself as the majority of them pounded hard into her and despite her resistance to water based attacks she was pushed back and fell onto the deck. The other people ran away to avoid the fight and give Erza some room.

She jumped up and tried to attack Rex with her sword but he caught it and threw her back onto the boat and fired a Water Pulse at her but this time Erza managed to block the move and retaliated with a wave of water. Rex crossed his arms and blocked it, and Erza switched her weapon to the Lightning Spear and fired a bolt of green lightning that shocked Rex and he dropped about a metre.

Rex charged up another Origin Pulse and fired at Erza this time who created a blue lightning shield to block the attack. The shield didn't break, but Erza was pushed back and was almost at the other side of the boat. Of it happened again there was a good chance that she would fall into the water.

Erza requipped into her Black Wing Armour. "Get out of here! I'll distract him!" She ordered and flew up into the air and began circling Rex in an attempt to distract him and Rex fired a Hydro Pump at her and Erza deflected it with a ball of lightning, spreading it out across the water as the boat began trying to return to the harbour.

Rex noticed this and fired another round of Origin Pulse, and Erza began dodging it which is what he had hoped for and then used Whirlpool, sending it out the boat. "..."

"No!" Erza cried as she ran towards the Whirlpool and she switched to her Black Wing Sword then used Moon Flash to dissipate the Whirlpool and felt him slamming into her with Aqua Jet. "Rex! You have to stop this madness at once. Calm down please!" She cried out and also equipped her Lightning Spear and fired a powerful bolt of electricity at him.

"Erza... Scarlet..." Rex said in a calm voice that clearly wasn't his normal one, and it chilled her to the bone.

* * *

**Magnolia Town - Fairy Tail Construction Site**

Makarov was deep in his thoughts as everyone carried on with the reconstruction work, and those not busy were out on jobs and he had just seen Team Shadow Gear leave to go on a job. He was interrupted by Elfman anxiously walking up towards him. "Is something the matter Elfman?" Makarov asked.

"Master, do you know where Mira is?" Elfman asked and Makarov gave him his full attention.

"No I don't, when was the last time you saw her?"

Elfman squirmed. "Last night before she went to bed at our home." He replied and Makarov gave it some thought, thinking about what would happen. Then he remembered something that happened during the previous day.

"Let's wait for another day, and then if Mira doesn't turn up by then we'll search for her." Makarov replied and then saw the frustration on his face. "Calm down Elfman, everything will be alright." He added and looked over to see some distant clouds.

**I was going to have it uploaded yesterday (14/06/15) but I fell ill so you have it here! Sorry about that.**

**Next Time on Guardian Fairy - Episode Alpha Part 2**


	16. Episode Alpha Part 2

**Next chapter will be the start of the Tower of Heaven arc and more explosive action, comedy and squishy red stuff (I don't mean blood). And Insane Dominator hasn't left a review on my last chapter. I HATE YOU NOW! Nah, I don't in the slightest. Also, I personally think Primal Kyogre has a better cry and design than Primal Groudon but Primal Groudon is better than Primal Kyogre in terms of stats and whatnot.**

**Previously on Guardian Fairy -**

**Rex: **After having won against Erza I actually got asked to do an S-Class quest and help her much to the jealousy of Natsu and Lucy, but they are doing a separate job. Erza showed me around her room in Fairy Hills and wanted my help in packing for the job. You wouldn't believe how much stuff she packs Father, not even a Trainer or a Coordinator would pack that much stuff in.

So on the train Erza wanted to know a bit more about me and I told her almost everything there is to know about me, man did some of that feel depressing. After arriving in our destination, where it was raining lightly we met up with the client who explained everything that happened. Long story short the fish have disappeared into deeper more treacherous water and the people are getting restless. We both went out on a boat where I discovered an underwater tunnel and- *static*

* * *

**Chapter 16 - Episode Alpha Part 2**

**Bluebell Town**

"Erza... Scarlet..." Rex said in a calm voice that clearly wasn't his normal one, and it chilled her to the bone.

The S-Class Mage faced him and carefully planned her next move. She saw that her Lightning Spear was the only thing that actually damaged Rex, and even then it didn't do much but Erza had to find a way of bringing him to his senses otherwise he might be lost for ever. In addition to that if she Requipped into one of her armours then she would lose her flying capabilities and fall into the body of water below her, which Rex just happened to have some control over.

"Snap out of it Rex! **Moon Flash!**" Erza cried and slashed at Rex in a cross pattern with her Black Wing Sword and then quickly turned around and jabbed at the chest with her Lightning Spear which had an electric ball at the end on it and Rex screeched in pain. Then Erza followed it up by discharging the electric ball and Rex stopped moving from the force.

"Bad... move..." Rex replied calmly as he fired a Hydro Cannon at her and she ducked swiftly. He didn't give up though and followed it with Blizzard, hoping to freeze Erza but she was faster than him and was still moving around when it faded. He paused briefly to consider how best to deal with it and then used Thunder.

Erza then shielded herself with a blue lightning shield as the large yellow bolt of lightning struck it and she put some effort into keeping her current position. Then she blocked an Ice Beam with an electrical beam of her and saw an Ice Ball the size of a head forming. "**Moon Flash!**" She chanted as it came near her again and she shattered it with another cross slash.

Rex followed it up with one that was fifty percent larger than the first one and Erza responded by firing three green lightning bolts at it, breaking it apart as it got close to her - too close for comfort and then managed to fly up in time to avoid the third one and it was now twice the size of the original. By the time the fourth one was ready, Erza guessed that it was about twice the size of Happy and blocked it with her Lightning Spear. It grinded against the blue shield and eventually broke into many pieces and she watched them fall into the sea.

"This... ends... it..." Rex declared creepily and Erza saw the blue ball forming and getting bigger and bigger with each passing second until it was massive, much larger than the time she had stopped it during their first fight. Rex noted as she switched her weapons to the ones that came with her Flame Empresses Armour and then he smiled unexpectedly.

This suddenly made Erza hesitant, as she wondered why he had smiled. But that was forgotten when she saw him fire the large Ice Ball. "Crimson Slash!" She shouted and swung her sword upwards but nothing happened, no fire came out of them. Erza was surprised as she had used her Magic power, but there was not a single hint of a strong wave of fire to melt the ice.

"Crimson Slash!" She tried again this time out of desperation and Rex continued to smile in amusement and quickly realised that he was waiting for this all along. Gritting her teeth she quickly switched her Flame Sword back for her Black Wing Sword and Lightning Spear and then drove the latter firmly into the large Ice Ball and sprayed electricity through it directly into the ice.

"Useless..." Rex chuckled coldly and mocked Erza for attempting but didn't fail to notice that she was still holding on in hopes of breaking it apart and then large cracks spread along the side and then it shattered to his astonishment. "No. NO!" Rex hissed in frustration.

Some of the chunks rained down on Erza. "Thought I was going to go down easily?" She taunted and shot another bolt of lightning as Rex retaliated with Icicle Spear. It hit some of them and others missed. Erza was surprised at the power of those that hit and then cried out in pain as she felt another barrage hit her. Rex saw her fall, nearly into the water but she then pulled up at the last minute.

Another taunt.

"**Lightning Buster!**" Erza chanted as she unleashed a strong cannon blast of lightning from a yellow Seal right into the swirling vortex of water that broke apart and sent the shock to Rex who fell into the water with an audible splash and he didn't appear to get back up immediately. She used this time to fly low and carefully scan the water for any sign of Rex and feared for him.

Below, Rex didn't make any sudden movements as he willed the water to stop him from touching the seafloor and then slowly began following his target, with the yellow glow dimmed so that she wouldn't notice it until she came right up to the water so that he could pounce.

Erza flew down closer still and took a longer time until she decided to go down closer again. She could see that the water was now no more than a few metres away from her, but she didn't want to risk it in case he was faking it and attacked. When there was still no further sign of Rex she flew down lower and glided above the surface of the water which soon proved to be a costly mistake.

Rex suddenly dashed forwards with Aqua Jet and caught Erza in the stomach before moving his arm out and grabbing her in order to get her under the water. "It's... over..." He said with triumph as he began dragging Erza down into the water and closer to where the tunnel used to be. The trench had collapsed in on itself and left just a wide empty deep spot, which was ideal for trying to drown someone. Rex held firm as she thrashed in his arms and then let her go before pummeling her with Origin Pulse.

Erza focused on holding her breath. The only way to gain a footing was to Requip into her Sea Empress Armour and she did so as Rex created a powerful current that forced Erza up against the wall. He was annoyed that she had found a way to hang on for a while and decided to keep going until her Magic ran out.

Unfortunately for him it appeared as though he was unaware of the fact that she could summon Swords and use Telekinesis. _At least that's whatever it is that controls him doesn't know. _Erza though as four more Sea Empress Swords appeared and a surprised look crossed his face.

Rex broke off creating a current as the swords all swiped at him and Erza swam over and grabbed another on of the swords, making the other three disappear. Rex then tried to create that same current but Erza reacted by creating her own vortex of water to counteract it and the two attacks created a watery shockwave that rocked them. It then became a physical battle as Rex summoned a Razor Shell and lunged forwards but Erza quickly parried it.

Another thing she noticed was that this style was definitely different to what she experienced when fighting him. This was more aggressive with the intent being to only attack until he broke through her defence.

But Erza wouldn't let him have that satisfaction as she blocked an attack and then unleashed a wave of water that unbalanced Rex and then she struck. It became rather apparent that his defending was clumsy and more reliant on physical prowess than anything else.

Erza persisted and slowly began driving Rex back who yelled something and then charged at Erza with Aqua Jet but she blocked it with a spiral of water coming out of both swords. Erza was being pushed back a bit from the force of the Aqua Jet but it wasn't going to be a major problem and eventually pushed him back.

The pair continued their struggle and they each began putting a but more power into their attacks until they separated with no victor.

Rex began scowling and formed an underwater Origin Pulse and then made it circle him and he looped through the water and was pleased that he didn't run into the orbs and Erza suddenly felt as if her job had become harder by the fact that she had to also make sure that she didn't run into the pulsing barrier and switched her weapon to the De-Malevo-Lance that came with her Giant's Armour and Rex raised an eyebrow.

Erza drew back her arm and gathered strength and electricity in it before throwing the spear at Rex, timing her throw carefully and was met with success. Not only did the Lance slip through the barrier but it also struck him and sent a pulse of electricity that destroyed the passive Origin Pulse and she dashed forwards and began attacking with her Sea Sword, and enhanced those attacks with Water Magic. She continued her assault and Rex was slowing be pushed back by her attacks.

"Stop!" Rex yelled maniacally and retaliated with a current of water to stop the sword and hit her in the stomach with a Sky Uppercut and then tackled her with Aqua Jet, moving her upwards faster and faster until they were above the water but it didn't stop there and he carried on further.

Erza saw several bolts of lightning before she realised that she had surfaced again and was struck by Thunder once more. Pain attacked her whole body but despite this she was still capable of fighting.

"Still... Going..." Rex noted with a hiss in his voice as Erza Requipped into her Black Wing Armour and held her Black Wing Sword and Lightning Spear, realising it was the best possible combination for the fight. She figured out that this form had a really strong defense to ranged attacks but didn't fare as well when it came to physical attacks. Knowing this she deliberately shot several bolts of lightning at him.

Still in Aqua Jet, Rex nimbly dodged in a circling arc and hid underwater again, hoping to pull off the same trick by disappearing and waiting at the seafloor. This trick was to ultimately fail though as Erza initially appeared to fly lower again and she stopped at a metre above the water with a look of caution and uncertainty on her face that was fake. Rex gave a sly grin, though thought at that height was a risky option to take but still did so regardless and leaped out of the water with Aqua Jet.

Erza looped around him and then struck a number of times with her Black Wing Sword and physically with a ball of electricity from her Lightning Spear. Electro Ball, but not actually the move. Then she stowed her Lightning Spear away as she cast her Moon Flash spell again, nailing him in the back.

Rex growled at the attack and sent a funnel of water at her which she dodged easily and then sent another bolt of lightning at him. This time Rex created a Razor Shell from a blue scalchop with a yellow blade to it and they began engaging in some good old fashioned swordplay.

Erza was still the better sword user however Rex was learning from this and it was a much less one sided battle with Erza starting to sweat with effort and she lured him into a feint before hitting him on the head with her Lightning Spear and discharged electricity down it and Rex was shock.

This gave him the chance to grab her leg and throw her down to the water before bombing the sea with Body Slam and Erza swallowed some seawater by accident and she choked on it and formed another lightning shield as another round of Origin Pulse was sent her way, but it was larger that what they were at first.

Erza quickly broke away and flew up, eventually coming out of the water but Rex grabbed her leg and began pulling on her and was not willing to let her go. "Let go of me Rex!" She demanded and swung with her sword at the outstretched arm, cutting it several times in the process of freeing her and Rex sharply gasped in pain before bursting out of the water angrily to meet her.

It was a that point he underwent another change, but this was something slightly different as all the golden marking slowly began fading to white and she felt another surge of power, and it didn't bode well for her at all.

Rex stood there and began twitching as he felt the power flow through him. This voice sounded toneless Loke before, but complete and aware of what was going on. "Heh, it's too late to save your friend. You have to deal with me now, the person who took him over." The voice said and Rex smirked obnoxiously.

Erza looked startled by this sudden development. "Who are you, and what do you want with Rex?" She asked and Rex paused, dropping his smile for a moment before replying.

"I don't have a name, though I suppose you could call me Opal. It was fitting for my former looks and I personally like it - makes me sound sexy. What I was does not concern you in any way, shape or form and it's not like you'll understands even if I did tell you, which I won't." Opal leered at Erza, who found it infuriating. "As for why I performed what is effectively a Take Over on your friend wasn't easy. I was resting for ages, powerless and alone until I came across this odd looking artifact. A blue round orb with a glowing symbol in the middle. How did I bond with it? By pretending to be its friend so to speak and I began feeding off of it."

"But I needed more, as it simply wasn't enough. Through convenience and what I assume was the orb's natural power I could feel this body and began exerting it's influence some time ago, though I was completely unaware of the two tasks that your friend here had to complete but I remained patient and exerted my influence to get him to touch poor old me and did my little Take Over the moment he laid a finger on me. In fact he laid the palms of both hands on me, making it easier. And I can feel so much power, enough to last me a life time or two!" Opal declared, raising her toneless voice higher and louder until it was practically screeching.

Erza glared at Rex, no Opal, no Opal!Rex and then asked the following question, dreading what the answer would be. "And what happens now?" There was something about Erza's tone that almost wished the answer didn't happen but she needed to know what this thing was going to do.

Opal narrowed his eyes and the smile on Rex's face grew wider until it was practically dripping with sadism and excitement. "When I crush you, I will awaken my brethren and destroy the world with the help of you and the strongest wizards in Fiore. THERE WILL BE CHAOS LIKE NOTHING ELSE BEFORE! NOT EVEN THE WAR!" Opal declared with delight.

_The war? What is she talking about? _"You're insane if you think that will ever happen!" Erza shot back defiantly and Opal chuckled dryly.

"Am insane, or driven by ambition? And you wanna know what makes this sweeter? I never knew that the Orb as well as Rex would be from another world. I'll certainly be interesting with all 18 Plates." Opal let that last part slip out and Erza gasped in anger and her hands began shaking with the weapons in them.

There was an intense glare on her face, the kind use often when Natsu and Gray got into a childish fight with each other. "The only one allowed to locate the Plates is Rex himself, so don't even think about manipulating him to achieve your ends. As you gather more he will resist more as well." Erza bluffed, keeping that gaze and hoping that Opal didn't see through it if it was actually one.

Opal took a few moments to think about that. "True, but I will win in the end, as I am spreading my influence throughout all of his Plates they will fall. You know I never realised how resistant those things are. Enough chit chat, now die Erza!" Opal commanded Rex's body to use Aqua Tail but that was met with a lightning shield and she followed it up with Discharge.

Erza thrust her Lightning Spear at a part of the lightning and redirected it upwards towards the sky and she dashed forwards, attacking Rex with a few physical moves. Her main issue now was how to free Rex from Opal's parasitic influence as she was completely unfamiliar with this and had to stall while she looked for a possible solution. "**Moon Flash!**" She cried and attacked Rex in a cross pattern.

"**Mimic: Moon Flash!**" Opal cried fiercely and attacked with a cross slash as well and they cancelled each other out. Erza then switched to her Heaven's Wheel Armour and summoned three more swords. Opal backed up and used Electro Ball and Erza swiftly dodged it before charging at the possessed Rex.

"**Pentagram Sword!**" Erza cried as the five swords attacked in a five pointed star style and Opal felt his body lower a few feet, and was stunned as this. Then she remembered that he had been through a fight with her before and won in the end so her confidence in winning was restored somewhat. It wasn't restored fully because she came to the horrible truth that if someone on Erza's level sided with her then she would be in trouble.

Rex's body paused as she slowly came to a rather from conclusion. Kill Erza and to help with her body helping her, she could easily find another more suitable one. Someone like Laxus or even some person named Gildarts who Rex had only heard of and basing it off of some of the things that other members of Fairy Tail had said was a hint of how strong he could really be.

"If you won't join me, then die!" Opal screeched and created two Sacred Swords to counteract Erza's pair of swords. They were locked again in a physical battle, but this time it was completely even. Each of their swords began to crack and the Sacred Swords shattered first. "Your swordplay is good, but it won't make a difference!" Opal cried as she used the Earth Plate to raise a section of the seafloor.

They both moved down to it and Erza requipped into her Heaven's Wheel Armour. "Blumenblatt!" She chanted and attacked with a barrage of swords and followed it up with Trinity Sword and then began a barrage of attacks that Opal stopped by using Protect and then retaliated with Metronome but it ended up being Poison Sting and Erza began deflecting them all with her twin swords.

Opal was surprised at this but kept it up in the hopes that she would make a mistake. The small purple projectiles kept falling around her and Erza then used Trinity Sword again and created a delta shaped projectile that deflected the Poison Sting, giving her enough time to summon other swords that began circling her and glowing blue. "Dance my blades, Circle Sword!" Erza cried and sent a disc straight at the possessed Rex.

"Ughn!" Opal grunted as his body reeled backwards from the attacks that Erza kept using. "Dream on redhead, that will be your last move." She snapped and then began using Blizzard to slow down Erza and then finished it up with Ice Beam, freezing her up until her head.

Erza began shaking slightly, or to be more accurate about it her head began to shake slightly as the cold spread along her body and into her head. The rain didn't help either and it wasn't long until her face began turning a faint shade of blue. "W-w-why are you doing this?" She asked, chattering her teeth until they fell apart. Figuratively speaking of course.

Opal dropped the smile on his face. "Partly because I want to and partly because that's what I was designed to do. I just happen to be the part that enjoys destruction like a lot of the Dark Guilds in this world. Rex has so much energy that I can happily use it to fulfil whatever I want to use." She explained with a neutral look on her face and Erza did a mixture of growling and chattering that amused her.

"Now don't struggle while you slowly freeze to death Erza Scarlet. Of course the feeling of hypothermia isn't pleasant so I'll make it a nice warm death." Opal smirked as she began charging a Hyper Beam and Erza saw a white orb with a pink center gathering in between her hands and grow until it was the size of a football (or soccer ball for the Americans).

"Now perish in **Hyper Beam!**" Opal declared triumphantly and fired the laser at Erza, engulfing her completely and also breaking the ice. Erza yelled in pain as the Hyper Beam burned against her skin and a golden light was lost against the pink, white and red which was then lost in an explosion that could be seen from a mile away.

When it cleared it showed Erza still in her Heaven's Wheel Armour though it was severely cracked and there was a look of horror on her face in realisation that her Requip failed. "How... how..." She muttered quietly and faced Opal when she finally got over her stress. Opal was looking shock as well, though more at Erza surviving it than anything else.

"Hmm, maybe I have been away from civilisation a bit too long. It's a minor set back though as that left you shaken with fright." Dismissing it, Opal began forcing her way through Rex's mind and slowly came across a few things. "Now what's this? A move known only by Arceus as... Judgement? Wicked!"

The possessed Rex grinned as a golden blue orb with a light ring began forming around it, and then Opal fired at Erza. She was surprised to see the orb split into twelve smaller ones but didn't worry as they were heading for Erza.

The scarlet haired S-Class Mage Requipped into her Giants Armour and began increasing her strength just as the Judgement attack pounded her in a series of small explosions and Erza gasped in pain as she felt like her very soul being damaged by it. Equipping her Black Wing Sword she prepared herself for the next move but then saw that it was Guillotine, but it looked differently this time. Instead of it being like a lance it looked like, a pair of axes.

"Execution time." Opal smirked and swung hard, with Erza blocking just in time. It was quickly clear that she was still recovering from the initial shock of her failed attempt to Requip. Then Opal delivered an overhead blow but Erza blocked it with her armoured left hand and attacked with her sword. Opal was pushed back but she planted her feet firmly and shot a quick Ice Beam at her feet.

Whilst Erza attempted to free herself Opal used Swords Dance and then jumped on top of her and pinned her down with Body Slam. Opal then used a close range Hydro Pump and Erza tried to stop the water from entering her mouth and began choking on the water. Erza had to keep going for Rex, he wouldn't want to see her die but she also had to do something and free him.

Slowly Erza moved one of her gauntlets to in front of the torrent of water and slowly pushed against it until it was at her mouth and Opal ceased the attack. Then she jumped off of Erza and then used Judgement again, this time willing it to stay as one giant orb and Erza increased her strength once more but was flung backwards as it exploded in front of her.

Trying to get up Erza saw Opal standing over and was no longer looking triumphant, only cold fury as she said, "End of the line Erza Scarlet." She said coolly and raised one of her Guillotine arms. Erza instinctively closed her eyes and expected to hear the sound of it swishing through the air.

It never happened as it was intercepted by an unknown attack and there was an explosion. Erza slowly opened her eyes and took a hand. When she felt it her eyes shot open as beside her stood the person she would least expect to see at a time like this. Mirajane, in her Satan Soul.

Mirajane's hair was now standing wildly upwards and it curled in several places too. Her ears were pointed like an elf and there were now two large black bat like wings. In such state, her eyes become darker and her eyelashes grow larger, with a dark, thin marking in a light zigzag-style crossing her right eye vertically; similar markings are present above her right breast and on both of her bare thighs. Her lipstick also became darker too.

Her hands arms became scaly with the hands growing larger and also wore a pair of golden gauntlets and there were a number of black scales on her arms with fins on it the outside. She also grows a large, stocky tail seemingly made of metal plates or scales, getting smaller and smaller near its end. Her clothes also changes, with any attire she might be donning being replaced by a dark, skimpy one-piece suit revealing her arms and legs. The cloth itself was a lighter colour around the edge and burgundy on the inside. Her shoulders were held up by a pink bed and she wore a similarly coloured pair of high heeled boots.

"Mira... what are you doing here?" Erza asked, unable to hide her surprise. Opal gave a hiss of annoyance but said nothing.

Mirajane turned to face her. "Because I was worried for Rex, and I wanted to tell him about my Satan Soul, but I wasn't expecting this." She admitted, looking at the possessed Rex. "I can feel that power too Erza, and I'm completely confident we can beat him together - that's how we're going to win. By forcing her out." She explained coolly.

"Mirajane Strauss, also known as the Demon. You can try anything you want to but it won't make a difference." Opal scowled as Erza got back up again and switched weapons, equipping her De-Malevo-Lance again. Opal then rushed forwards and attacked Mirajane with Focus Punch, but she held firmly and Erza threw her Lance. It hit him square in the chest and Opal scowled before trying again with Crush Claw, only to meet her gauntlets again.

"You were saying?" Mirajane asked calmly and struck back with a powerful punch to the face and another one to the stomach and then fired a beam of dark purple energy at Opal who tripped backwards. Erza then lunged in with her Lightning Spear and delivered a shocking blow to him.

Opal kept her cool as she forced his injured body upwards. Then she used Water Spout, and Erza produced a lightning shield whilst Mirajane dodged it and appeared behind her. Then she used Water Pulse on her and Mirajane took it straight on. "If you think about asking what was that supposed to do, well I was think about this." Opal smirked as she used Discharge to catch both of them.

Mirajane recovered first and began gathering energy above her head and it formed a black and reddish orb that grew inside. "**Satanic Blast.**" She said coolly and fired a large beam of Darkness Magic at him that erupted in a pillar, dealing lots of damage. Rex was still standing but the look on his face showed Opal's shock and distress.

"**Photon Slicer!**" Erza shouted after Requipping and fired a large energy blast at her.

This armor is mainly composed of orange and yellow leather-like material, which is sported in the form of several orange wing-shaped pauldrons that cover her shoulders and waist. The shoulder pauldrons appear to have white wings protruding from the center of the shoulder guard and the pauldrons surrounding Erza's waist are held up by a simple dark pink belt from the front. Erza dons a plain white one-piece suit that is worn with a matching pair of metal arm guards and large bolded knee guards over a pair of high-heeled armored greaves that cover her calves.

Mirajane couldn't help but smirk. "You said that you wanted to show him some of your other armour, well now you're doing that with your Morning Star Armour." She joked.

Erza looked back at her face with surprise then couldn't help but initially smile too. "Touche, but right now we have to force her out of his body. Any ideas?" She asked.

"I won't be made fun of like this!" Opal screeched and fired a Mud Bomb at Erza then used Ice Beam at Mirajane. Erza fired a blast of energy at the Mud Bomb and Mirajane fired a dark beam of energy that locked with the Ice Beam in their struggle. This gave Erza the chance to sneak an attack in and fired two bursts of energy that made Opal lose her balance and focus.

"You bastards!" She shouted and attempted to use Blizzard on Erza.

But for her she had to also deal with Mirajane and she dashed in close with her hands out stretched. "**Evil Spark.**" She whispered and put her hands on his back, channelling electricity through it. Opal cried out in pain and for a moment, the two females saw the white fade to slightly.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking Mira?" Erza asked the white haired demon.

"Yeah, knock her out of him. I've got that one Spell capable of doing that to him, but you have to distract him and you might get caught up in it Erza." She replied with caution and saw Opal, frozen like a statue on the spot whilst she tried to regain control of his body.

Erza looked at Rex and knew it had to be done. "It doesn't matter Mirajane, I'll be fine as long as I don't get hit directly. It's necessary if we want to save him, I want to save him as well." She said and Mirajane figured that this was close to a confession as she was going to get right now.

"Then go." Mirajane replied simply.

Erza dashed forwards and struck the frozen statue twice with a little bit of energy added to make sure she got the attention she wanted. It worked like a charm, Opal was looking furiously at her and then fired several Water Pulses. But Erza easily dodged them, jumping backwards. Meanwhile, Mirajanre began gathering Darkness Magic in her hands.

"You'll pay for that! And so will everyone else!" Opal cried out and used Flash Cannon whilst Erza retaliated with Photon Slicer. It was having the effect Erza wanted. Opal was getting unfocused and annoyed, two traits that were likely to hinder her thought processes. "Get a load of this. **Hyper Beam!**" She cried and fired that white and red beam that Erza had seen once before.

Erza quickly switched her current weapon to her Lightning Spear and then formed an orb of lightning around the tip where she thrust at Opal who caught it and was shocked with a lot of electricity and then stuck her several times, noting that the constant use of his moves was wearing her down. Opal was not accustomed to it because she also had the job of being dominant.

In her mind, Rex was slowly beginning to push out despite how much she was taking from him and so her first priority was to stay in control at all costs which, to be honest, wasn't working perfectly with the assault from the outside as well and she was beginning to lose it, though clearly not without a fight by the looks of things. "Why don't you just give up?" Opal asked crossly, not wanting to fight Erza right now.

Erza Scarlet saw that she was not going to stood up. "There are two reasons why we would never give up. First, a member of Fairy Tail never gives up no matter how hard the task at hand is. We keep going even when we can't. And the other reason is... Rex would do the same for me. If you were taking control of me he would fight to the bitter end. In fact, I recently challenged him to a fight and lost." She pointed that out and Opal paled upon hearing this.

"Stop spouting that crap. YOU SHOULD ALL JUST DIE!" Opal shouted and then there was that change Erza saw again. She wasn't sure if Rex had heard her but she knew that he was not going down either. It flickered between golden yellow and white again.

Mirajane was nearly finished now as there was a dark globe of energy in between her hands. "**Soul Extinction!**" She cried and fired a beam of purple energy at Rex and Erza jumped back in time. Opal didn't see it until was too let and let out a roar that was lost in the ensuing large explosion that pushed both Erza and Mirajane backwards, with the former pushed back to the edge of the platform and she looked behind her before signing in relief.

"Rex!" Erza cried in remembrance and she quickly ran over to him. She was surprised to see that her Soul Extinction had reverted him to just the Splash Plate, but knew that whatever form that was did have high defences against a ranged attack and wondered what the damage could have been had that not been the case.

"Is he still possessed?" Mirajane asked a little fearfully. After landing she changed back into her normal looks though the effects of Satan Soul were plain to see - her hair was messed up and her clothes torn in several places. But she was more concerned about whether or not Rex was Rex and that he was alright, and worried that she had gone too far - especially after what had happened to Lisanna.

Rex groaned slightly and the two of them were relieved to see that he was alright. "Where am I? What happened, and why are you here Mira?" He gasped in shock then was surprised to see both girls hugging him suddenly, though he didn't see the scowl Mira and Erza gave each other. Then his tone became deadly serious. "You finally used your Satan Soul didn't you?" Rex asked, he didn't accuse her.

Mirajane nodded quietly and didn't say anything. There was silence for a while before Rex broke it again.

"You know, I'm glad that you did it Mira, the fact that you managed to look over what had happened two years ago and use your Take Over much like Elfman did during the battle with Phantom Lord. If you hadn't, I think I might have killed Erza. I would never want to live with that." He added that last part so that only Mirajane could hear as Erza Requppied back into her Heart Kreuz Armour and went over to notice something.

There was a fragment of some strange crystal on the ground close to where Opal had stood before being hit by Soul Extinction. It was a kite shaped white crystal, as big as her armoured gauntlet and Erza expected something too happen when she picked it up, but luckily nothing did. She let out a sigh of relief and the two of them came over.

"I think I remember what happened now. I touched the orb and... on dear Arceus. Please don't tell me I went... and I tried to kill you." Rex choked up and then tears formed in his eyes and he struggled for a moment to keep his emotions in check and bit his lip really. "I..." He began but words couldn't come to him.

"Neither of us blame you Rex, it was because of this strange object that you attacked me and Mira." Erza explained in an attempt to comfort him and Rex brushed away his tears.

"I wasn't crying at all, got that?" Rex said sharply and they nodded to appease him. Rex was glad but that reminded him of the dangers that came with using the Plates - in the wrong hands they could kill or worse, alter reality to their own whim. Was that what Dialga and Palkia had hinted at? Something distracted him. "Is that our ship?" He asked and pointed.

When the three of them got back to the mainland there was a crowd anxiously waiting for them and the mayor, Darren, was one of the ones at the front and was surrounded by a small group of Rune Knights to the keep the crowd from tearing him apart in case any bad news had happened. "Well?" He asked quietly as the three of them got off the boat and on to dry land.

Rex deliberately kept them waiting for a bit and saw them sweating slightly before saying, "Good news, the problems been fixed, expect the fish to come back within a day or two." He announced dramatically and was greeted with cheers from the local townspeople and a relieved look on Darren's face.

"So what happened?" He asked out of sheer curiosity, but Rex and his two female companions were swamped by the townspeople all wanting to thank him for his work. Darren did receive a telepathic message though from Rex who had promised to tell him later.

* * *

**That night**

In honour of their success a party was thrown in the main square and Rex was surprised at the speed at which they managed to get it together and it made him wonder what had happened when he was unconscious, figuratively speaking. It initially was a large feast with lots of seafood, including a few delicacies that were only found in Bluebell Town, and Rex was initially hesitant at first because he wasn't really a fan of seafood. Then he tried a smoked dish with a creamy sauce that had a hint of wine and he began to really like it, so much so that Rex eat his way through 10 main courses. A lot of people were absolutely amazed at the sheer quantity he ate. "It's not my fault the fish is so good! Any better and I would have become sushi!" He remarked and that was met with a round of laughter.

Erza and Mirajane were the only ones who weren't surprised at how much Rex ate, but their focus was now on two things. The first was the necklace, and the other was her Satan Soul. "You know Erza, I would never have expected one small crystal to do so much harm." Mirajane admitted.

"Hmm, but it mentioned that there were more of it. I sometimes wonder what it meant by that. Does it mean that this only part of a bigger puzzle yet to be solved?" Erza asked as Rex was busy telling a group of people his involvement in the Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail War, by request. There was silence as they were all on their tentahooks, and Rex was hamming it up a bit for show.

"But that's another thing for another day. Why not relax and have some fun?" Mirajane suggested. "Because if you won't then I will." She added teasingly and an innocent smile crossed her face.

This made Erza blush and she nearly lost her composure for a moment but then glared back at the white haired Mage. "If you make a move on a Rex I hope you're ready to face the consequences." She threatened.

This was the trap that Mirajane had set for her and Erza blushed furiously. "Isn't that cute Erza, you've finally admitted your feelings for Rex! Now we can tell everyone back at the Guild!" She exclaimed cheerily as the tables were being cleared away.

Erza needed to do something drastically and changed the subject. "Mirajane, how were you able to finally use your Satan Soul?" She asked pointedly and her smile faded a bit.

Mirajane looked away from her fellow S-Class wizard for a moment and she bit her lip before answering her question and decided to tell her about his conversation with Rex.

(Flashback, Kardia Cathedral)

_A drop of rain fell on his nose and thunder rumbled. Rex looked up suddenly and saw that the clouds were covering the sky and it was beginning to rain, and he carried on to Kardia Cathedral. During that walk it began drizzling, then it actually started to rain quite heavily, accompanied by the occasional flash of lightning. But still he ignored that and carried on, and began walking amongst the gravestones until he eventually reached the one with Lisanna's name on it._

_**Lisanna Strauss X768 ~ X782**_

_**Beloved sister and friend to animal souls.**_

_"So this is it. You know Lisanna, I never really got to see you. But I did hear a lot about you from Natsu in particular, and I'm sorry things turned out this way." Rex said, partly to himself and he sighed as he remembered the death of his own parents when he was only six. A movement from behind made him jump and turn around but Rex relaxed because it was only Mirajane, dressed in dark clothing as opposed to her normal long dress, holding an umbrella up._

_"Rex? What are you doing here?" She asked, also surprised._

_"I wanted to pay my respects to her." He replied quietly and Mirajane looked into his eyes. They seemed to be understanding and searching at the same time. "Natsu told me what happened to her. And that reaction, to just stop like that with your Take Over, I understood that feeling once."_

_Mirajane was curious, and she took several steps closer to shelter Rex from the rain. "What do you mean?" She asked._

_Rex didn't reply directly, but took something out from an inside jacket pocket. It was a small silver oval shaped locket with an engraving on it that said 27.06.04. Inside, there was a picture of two people. The one on the right was a woman with long wavy brown hair and blue eyes. On the left there was a taller man with short dark hair and grey eyes._

_"Are they...?" Mirajane began, and could feel tears welling up in her eyes._

_"Yeah, my parents. They both died in an accident when I was six, so I can't remember that much." Rex admitted, though in truth he was lying to her about how they died. He firmly believed that what had happened could not happen again, it was practically impossible form them to show up._

_"How do you carry on?" Mirajane asked, sniffing._

_"I cried a lot a first, but one day I just got fed up of crying and decided that doing so wasn't going to solve anything. It made me the trainer I am today, and I do really miss them when I want to Mira. You blame yourself for what happened that day don't you? Just as much as Natsu and Elfman does, perhaps even more." Rex said somberly, and Mirajane stood there for a moment before hugging him tightly and she began crying into his shirt. The white haired Trainer smiled gently and hugged Mirajane back whilst not saying a word. It was best for her to let it all out right now._

_When she managed to finally release her grip on him Rex grinned his normal grin. "Don't cry now Mira, a beautiful face like that should smile like the sun." He said and a small semitransparent orange orb appeared in his hand. Rex chucked it at the sky and three shockwaves spread out, stopping the rain and clearing the clouds to let the sun shine through._

(Flashback end)

Erza didn't say anything for a moment when Mirajane had finished her story and was only mildly surprised at what she said to her. She was also slightly rankled about the fact that Mirajane had actually hugged him but didn't pursue the matter any further as she had not felt this way about Rex back then. It was only during the Guild War that Erza had begun to _like_ like Rex. "There definitely is more to him than meets the eye, so much so we may never understand." Erza concluded and was surprised at her sharp tone.

Mirajane nodded then saw that there was a dance going on now and Rex had come over. "Which one of you gets to dance with me? Because we have to, and I don't want to choose in case you get offended." He explain cautiously and put his hands up carefully.

Mirajane then smiled sweetly and said with a hint of sadness. "Well I can't dance because I technically didn't go onto the mission with you, so you luckily get Erza." She said and watched him relax. Erza smiled at Mirajane, and then she Requipped into a beautiful burgundy dress and then firmly grasped him by the shoulders before pulling him to the dance floor.

Rex quickly began to regret it, as Erza was known as the Dance Demon and he quickly became pushed, pulled, spun, thruster and every sort of ballroom dance sequence possible due to her passion for dancing. His face simply said help me and eventually looked like Natsu after riding a moving vehicle as he got down on a seat to rest and shook his head gently. When Rex finally got his bearings together again he saw Luke along with a small group of people of a similar age.

"Yes?" The Guardian asked.

Luke looked embarrassed as he apologised. "I'm sorry for being cold to you earlier. When I heard about your fight with Phantom Lord's Guildmaster I was amazed at how you kept fighting for your Guild despite nearly dying."

"... No need to worry Luke. Though I do suspect there is another reason for you wanting to talk to me?" Rex asked curiously. He read the boy's mind as Luke was walking towards him but pretended not to know.

"Well, it's just that someday I want to join Fairy Tail as well!" Luke declared boldly, unfortunately his father had overheard him as well as he wanted to have his private chat with Rex too.

"Luke, why would want to join a Guild that ends up going way too far. Don't you remember what happened to the Guild Master Conference Hall a while back?" Darren frowned at his son and Rex gulped as he remembered the first time he had used Sacred Fire - the signature move of Ho-oh.

"Why can't I? You've never really had a chance to talk to me about what I want, instead you've been going on about helping the town and staying here when I grow up." Luke retorted and Rex looked at him, remembering what he was like before setting out on his journey as a Trainer and slowly stood up.

"But I'm worried about you! You could end up dying, lost or God knows what else." Darren argued.

Before it could go any further Rex decided to step in and calm things down. "Darren, if Luke wants to join Fairy Tail when he's older then I have no reason to stop him. As long as he knows what it takes to be a member of the Guild as well as understanding the right Magic for him then I see no problem in it. (If you're that worried then I can always keep an eye on him.)" Rex said that last part in Darren's mind.

The mayor looked at him, then back at his son and then back to Rex before sighing in defeat. "Okay, I give up. But when you do join you must visit us every once in a while, please?" Darren stipulated.

Luke looked to Rex and surprisingly saw the gaunt look on his face that clearly warned him not to argue. "Okay." he added meekly before walking off with his friends and Rex relaxed.

Darren also let out a sigh of relief and sat down next to Rex at the same time Erza had just come over from more dancing and she left a number of men dizzy. "So just between you and me, what did happen?" He asked curiously.

Rex started by going through the two trials and how he had to fight a water based creature that was a lot tougher than it looked and then told what he found and the impossible odds of said object being there. He concluded by admitting he had no idea of what happened until Erza told him.

Then the red haired female took over and explained how it affected the rain and what the Blue Orb did to him as well as going into detail about their fight. She included how it gained a consciousness and that it was the reason behind the whole episode and went on to explain some of the differences between Opal and Rex, the latter of whom shuddered at the thought.

Erza then told him of how Mirajane saved her and a bit about how she was called the Demon, but she never mentioned Lisanna directly. The conclusion to that was the two of them teaming up together and beating Opal, saving Rex and the town.

"Oh that's right I forgot!" Darren gasped in remembrance. "Tomorrow morning you'll get the reward for completing the job."

After that there was more partying until Rex dropped in exhaustion and was sleeping soundly back in a hotel that Darren had booked the three of them and insisted that they should not pay for it. When he woke the following day he saw that he was in a room for one and squinted as he saw a shadow fall over him and thought that he had spied a silver shoulder plate and quickly realised who was there. "Erza? What time is it?" He asked.

"Time for you to come with us. We have a train to catch." Erza replied gently.

Rex bolted upright and nearly hit her but Erza calmly walked out of the room and waited for him as he made sure that everything was in order. Clothes, check. Pokeballs, check. Tidy room, check. He quickly ran out and nearly crashed into Erza. "Is Mirajane coming with us?" He wondered out loud.

"Yes, but she's already waiting. Rex, what was that Forme you had assumed when you were taken over?" Erza asked curiously.

"That... was Kyogre, expect it was far stronger than normal Kyogre. Primal Kyogre is a better name for it - total dominance over water. Manectric died fighting it, I was weak that day Erza. I should have called him back but he was the only chance I had at beating him." Rex sniffed and shook as he felt like he was going to tear up again.

Erza put a sympathetic hand on his shoulders. "I'm sure he would be proud of you for where you have come Rex." He embraced her briefly but didn't say a word. However his body language suggested that he agreed with Erza and that Rex didn't want to talk about it for the moment. They met Mirajane at the station and the journey back was a quiet one. Rex closed his eyes and let his thoughts drift back to that day.

At the Fairy Tail Guild Hall, they noticed that Natsu and Gray were getting into another argument that was related to something that had happened over the last two days. "And what the hell was that for you flaming freak? What was up with that pillow fight?" Gray snapped, and the three of them say bandages on him and Natsu.

"I always give everything my 100 percent effort and besides, I won that pillow fight!" Natsu retorted and they began growling at each other.

"Well that one hundred percent crap is the reason you destroy so much stuff you idiot! And I won!" Gray shot back at him.

"Nah in I clearly won!" Happy interjected, feeling annoyed.

But the blue cat was ignored again as they began running towards Lucy. "Lucy tell him! Tell him that I won the pillow fight!" The pair of them shouted at the blonde Celestial Wizard who was sitting down.

Lucy turned around and gave both of them a death glare with a menacing aura radiating off of her. "Shut up." She replied in an icy tone.

"Yikes!" Natsu and Gray jumped and backed away in unison.

"Who knew that? Lucy is the next Erza." Rex observed mildly, smiling at how Lucy handled them. "Flaming idiot!"

"It would appear as if she took some lessons from you." Mirajane giggled. Her voice roused Elfman who stood up suddenly and every head was turned towards the three of them. "You don't have to worry so much Elfman. I'm perfectly fine." She added and Elfman sat back down in his seat rather reluctantly because he was obviously itching for a chat with her.

"So where did you go?" Lucy asked when Rex sat down next to her.

"Bluebell Town." Rex began but was interrupted by Happy.

"You went to Bluebell Town?! That's the fish capital of Fiore, I've always wanted to try some of the fish there!" Happy cried out and began dreaming of all the fish that was swimming in the sea and nearly fainted from pleasure. "Did you bring me any fish?" He asked rather eagerly.

Rex realised that if he ignored him then Happy would continually pester him and though of something rather amusing to tell him. "Well I did buy a delicious looking fish for you Happy, but we ended up fighting a vicious three headed monster and I'm afraid that we had to use it to defeat him. I'm sorry." He frowned and shrugged his shoulders in sympathy.

Happy was thunderstruck and began shaking on the spot in despair. "I... I... I..." He said and quite a few of the people watched quietly to see what would happen and didn't say a word.

"Although for some reason I do have this lying around and quite frankly I have no idea what to do with it, maybe you should have it." Rex suggested innocently as he pulled out a brown yellow rhombus shaped fish and placed it down in front of Happy.

"..!" Happy gasped and began drooling. "FIIIISH!" He shouted loudly and Rex hastily covered his ears. He was surprised to see that Happy was actually crying in not and began chewing the fish like there was no tomorrow. He quickly realised that something was amiss when he saw Rex and quite a few other trying their best not to chuckle but it was too late and there was a round of laughter coming from everyone as they saw Rex playing Happy like a fiddle.

"I'm truly sorry about that Happy. Eat it." Rex said, pointing to the fish and no sooner than he finished the sentence the blue cat was chewing it with content and joy written all over his face. "So Lucy, how was the job, ignoring the pillow fight."

"The job went smoothly, and I also got a new Celestial Spirit." Lucy replied and drew out a Golden Key with the bow shaped like a golden mane and a red Zodiac symbol on it. "**Open: Gate of the Lion - Loke!**" She chanted and out came the last person Rex ever expected to see.

Loke was taller and smarter than when Rex had last seen him. His hair was slightly longer and the spikes were larger as well. His glasses were still there but he now wore a black suit with a white shirt and a red tie that match the symbol on his Key. "Surprised to see me Rex?" Loke asked and Rex noted the confidence in his voice.

"I'll admit I never had you down for a Celestial Spirit Loke." Erza admitted, and she was standing next to him.

Loke gulped and took several quick steps back in fear. "Yes well, thanks Erza." He said quickly and then saw refuge by being next to Lucy.

"Both of you should explain." Rex suggested.

Loke went first and started by telling him about how Lucy Heartfilia was the second Celestial Wizard that he had made a contract with. The first was from another Guild, Blue Pegasus and his first owner was also a woman who went by the name of Karen Lilica and she was also quite popular amongst the male Mages. However the main difference between her and Lucy was that she was a much crueler person and abused her authority over her Spirits.

Karen's most frequent victim of her abuse was another Zodiac Spirit who went by the name of Aries. She called upon her many times and would often use her as a shield, and both Loke and the Blue Pegasus Master did not agree with her stance (Rex shuddered when he remembered Bob). One day, Karen was about to punish her by forcing her to live in the human world for seven days which was apparently fatal for a Celestial Spirit.

Loke didn't stand by this and appeared in her place through his own will and Magic, and demanded that both his and Aries contracts be terminated. Karen refused and Loke responded by saying that until she agreed that he would stay here in the human world and use his own Magic to do so. Since that declaration a month had passed but Karen wasn't going to put up with and tried every trick in the book to get Loke back into the Celestial Spirit World.

According to him, summoning two Spirits at a time was a feat that few Celestial Wizards could ever perform and so Karen lost her ability to do jobs and became desperate to the point that she beat Loke up once. Then, three months later he was met with shocking news - that Karen had decided to go on a job and try to summon a Celestial Spirit but it was too much effort for her and she collapsed and died.

During that time he had grown accustomed to the human world and decided Karen had been punished enough. He would forgive her but also warn about what would happen if she ever abused Aries again. For violating his contract with Karen and inadvertently causing her death, he was forbidden to return to the Celestial Spirit World. Soon after, Leo disguised himself as a human named Loke, and joined the Fairy Tail Guild as a Mage.

He had survived in this world for three years and would have died were it not for Lucy. Loke saw that she was being harassed by two thugs and saved her from them, with Rex mentally noting that Loke had slightly harassed Lucy when they first met. Lucy followed him and then listened to his story, and tried to save him despite his initial protests and it attracted the Celestial Spirit King.

The Celestial Spirit King pointed out that although Loke did not kill Karen directly, his actions indirectly caused her death and that was why he was punished. Lucy begged to differ by briefly summoning out all her Spirits - Crux, Plue, Horolugium, Lyra, Aquarius, Virgo, Taurus, Cancer and Capricorn - and she argued that there was nothing wrong with saving ones friends.

This made the Celestial Spirit King reconsider and come to the conclusion that although his actions led to the death of Karen - they were made with Aries in mind. He decided to forgive him and allow him to return to the Celestial Spirit World on one condition. That being he protected Lucy no matter what and Loke accepted it, returning once he gave his Key to Lucy.

"Wow... that's a lot." Rex said quietly, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

"Yeah, soooo..." Loke wanted to change the topic and began addressing Lucy. "Why don't you and I go out tonight?" He asked flirtingly.

"Huh?" Lucy did a double take.

"Come on baby, just the two of us for a romantic evening together?" Loke persisted.

"Don't be ridiculous, I wouldn't go out with you!" Lucy argued.

"You don't have to be so shy Luce!" Loke said, shooting one of his famous glares in hope of winning her over.

"No way!" Lucy shook her head and attempted to use a Forced Gate Closure but he stopped her with a more serious look on his face.

"Not just yet Lucy, take these." Loke held out several tickets and Lucy hastily accepted them before disappearing in a flash of golden light. "Now what are... tickets to Akane Resort?!" Lucy cried out in shock, counting five of them.

Erza saw the confused look on his face. "Akane Resort is a very popular place with tourists. There is a five star hotel, a casino and a large beach there as well. There is even an amusement park there as well." She explained and Rex felt exctiment rush through his body. "After everything we've been through it would be nice to have a period of time that is stress free." She admitted before chasing after Happy who made a comment about her and Rex. It was ironic that instead of having a stress free time, the complete opposite would happen.

* * *

**And this ends our little arc and I just wanted to say that as for the other story, I've been trying to write it on my laptop but it is being quite slow and the moment and unfortunately it may be a while before anything happens to it. Also: Super Mystery Dungeon hype!**

**Next Time - Erza's Ghosts**

**Akane Resort, home to an amusement park, casino and more fun than anyone knows what to do with. Team Natsu start what should be three days of relaxation, but those plans will come to a sudden halt.**


	17. Erza's Ghosts (Tower of Heaven)

**And thus, the first chapter of the Tower of Heaven. So Insane Dominator sent me a PM and I just want to point out that whilst Rex went into a Legendary Forme four times already (and I will use it more sparingly, so I have to rethink the fight against Laxus), there was only one time where it actually worked. His fight against Gajeel was interrupted by Aria attacking Makarov, then he couldn't win against José even with it and the latest time it was forced. **

**Also, the whole Legendary Signature Art was derived from the term Signature move that applied to any Pokémon with a move that no one else can learn (King's Shield for Aegislash, Dragon Ascent for Rayquaza you get the picture). Last chapter... Uhhhh, oops, sorry about that Insane Dominator.**

**Previously on Guardian Fairy - **

**Rex: **So what happened was I got possessed and then I/Opal attacked Erza who joined up with Mirajane and they eventually beat me, though we now have a piece of a crystal that is one of several others. How many, we don't know. So we got back to the Guild where we found out that Loke was actually Leo the Lion! Before that he was under the owner of an abuse Mage and was punished for it but Lucy saved him and now there are five tickets to Akane Resort. Some time to recharge my batteries would be good.

* * *

**Chapter 17 - Erza's Ghosts**

Akane Resort was grand and there was no expense spared. The hotel was large with many different towers that rose from it to slightly different heights and the rooms varied as well. They had two rooms, one for Lucy, Natsu, Happy and Gray - the other one was for Erza and Rex. Both groups had an excellent view of the amusement park which was adjacent to the beach which stretched for ages. Not too far from the hotel was the casino, and they would all go there tonight after spending a day relaxing at the beach.

The group arrived at the beach and Natsu, Gray and Happy ran off immediately. "Man, they never stop do they? Let us hope for our sake that neither Natsu nor Gray destroy anything. I don't think Loke would be too happy to see a charred and frozen Resort." Rex sighed as he looked at their retreating forms. He was wearing nothing but a pair of gold and white swimming trunks, even leaving his Mega Bracelet in his room locked up tight.

"That's Natsu and Gray for you." Lucy sighed and was shocked when she realised that she had imitated Happy.

Eventually they decided to have a volleyball and it was Gray and Natsu versus Erza and Rex. "Heads up!" Rex shouted as he served to Natsu who hit it straight up and made to hit it again.

"Idiot, you can't hit it twice!" Gray shouted and pushed Natsu back as he hit it over the net at Erza. Natsu however attacked him with a blazing fist. "What the hell?" Gray shouted at him. The ball went outside the court and it ended up being 1-0 to Erza and Rex.

"That was for hitting me you popsicle!" Natsu shouted back at Gray.

"Well it's not my fault that you don't know the first thing about volleyball!" Gray shot back and took up his stance and a mist began forming around his hands. However the volleyball hit him hard in the face and Natsu began laughing then stopped quickly as it hit him too and they were both groaning on the floor.

Erza had thrown the volleyball and then ordered. "No fighting!" She said sternly and Rex walked over to them.

"Maybe you should switch with Erza Gray. That way we can keep the damage potential to a minimum." Rex suggested and Erza overrode any objections by Natsu with a gentle bump to the head. "Okay then, starting over... this time without any nonsense."

Then he served again to Natsu who slammed it back at Gray. Then the raven haired Mage passed it over to Rex who hit it hard at Erza who tried to hit it back but failed and Natsu followed it up by using both of his hands, but it landed in the net and fell to the sand. 1-0 to Rex and Gray.

Lucy and Happy were observing the match. "Did you bet on anyone to win Lucy?" He asked.

"Do you have to get on every match?" Lucy asked, exasperated. "It's becoming a bad influence on you."

"Most of the time yes." Happy admitted, focusing on the match and missing her disappointed expression. Soon, even Lucy was impressed by the speed of the match.

The four of them were really beginning to get into the volleyball match despite the early hiccup and several people were starting to watch the match and after about thirty fast minutes it was 8-8 and a crowd had begun to gather. Lucy and Happy pushed their way through towards the front to see the match. Erza had served and currently it went to Erza who passed to Natsu, then Rex, back to Natsu, then Gray, Rex and he shot it back to Natsu who tried hitting it back and it just passed the net and hit Rex in the face, which made it sail upwards.

"Let me boost you up Gray!" Rex suggested and Gray gained extra height by moving a foot onto Rex's hand and was elevated three feet into the air. Gray grinned as he used his Ice Make: Hammer spell and aimed at Natsu before smashing the ball back at the pink haired Mage.

It hit him which such force Natsu felt it hit his stomach and looked sick as lay on the ground with the ball lying next to him in the sand. The crowd cheered and it still stayed at eight all but now it was Gray who served. "No fair!" Natsu whined.

"What did Gray do?" Rex asked, feigning innocence and Erza decided to let it slide.

"Natsu, you are not allowed to use Magic. Yours would destroy the place." Erza whispered and glared at Natsu who took it in his stride and didn't make any more attempts in the match. Gray also agreed with Rex silently not to use any more Magic.

The match continued and still kept up the fast pace that is did save for the occasional mistake. It went to Erza, Natsu, Rex, Erza, Gray, Natsu, Gray again who passed it to Rex and aimed carefully before smacking the ball and it hit Natsu on the head. "Again?" Natsu protested as they scored a point. It was now 10-10, so whoever got this one would win it.

"This is it Gray! One more point!" Rex said confidently as he squeezed the ball in anticipation.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Gray replied cockily.

"Focus Natsu, we have to win the serve back!" Erza ordered as she looked at him.

"Aye..." Natsu groaned as he sustained a few more bumps courtesy of Erza and Rex, though in the case of the latter it was completely by accident.

Rex passed it to Gray who slammed it over the net where it quickly met Erza's hands and it was sent sailing backwards to Gray who attacked the ball and it was heading for Natsu who hit it to the opposite side. Rex had to run to get it and did the same thing but Erza was waiting for the ball and slammed it over the net and Gray was there to meet the ball and he volleyed it over the net.

Natsu was getting more and more stoked up and the people nearby could feel heat coming from him. Unfortunately Lucy and Happy were also there and began sweating more than anyone else. He punched the ball a little harder than he should have and whilst Rex intercepted the ball he was pushed back and the impact made him nearly fall over and Gray carried it gently over the net. Both Natsu and Erza went for the ball and knocked each other by accident, but Natsu got a hand on it and it was soaring to the edge of the court.

Gray turned and hit it backwards for Rex who hit it with the palm of his hand and Natsu hit it somewhat awkwardly, and it looked as if it was going to go out but Erza ran past Natsu and hit it backwards hard. It went over the next and both Rex and Gray jumped for it, colliding with each other and Gray got a hand on it then pushed Rex forwards and he slammed it down on the court. It went right past Erza and Natsu lunged forward but missed and got a face full of hot sand and he jolted in pain.

"Oh yeah!" Both Rex and Gray shouted and high five each other in victory as the crowd cheered. Then Rex walked over to the other side and offered Natsu a hand up and a sand replica of his face looked up before dissolving into his face which was looking slightly red from the sand.

They then tried out an attraction which was riding a board being pulled by a large man side fish with several fins on the side. Lucy and Natsu were riding one, and the latter was feeling his motion sickness as they jumped across a wave. "Someone... help..." Natsu pleaded as they rode alongside a second one that had Rex and Erza on it.

"Don't blame me it was your idea." Lucy laughed as she saw that Erza was holding onto his body to avoid losing her balance and he jumped a wave, going so high that they went over her and she yelped and flinched, inadvertently steering it towards a group of rocks.

"Look out Lucy!" Rex cried and his left arm began crackling.

Lucy shrieked as she saw the rocks getting closer and bigger but then Gray and Happy came riding another board, this one made of ice and the blue cat was doing his best not to slide off and decided to fly. Gray fired his Ice Make Lance spell and Rex unleashed a Thunderbolt at the rocks as well and the combination of the two broke apart the rocks and Lucy managed to ride through them.

Rex then steered his large fish to gently move Lucy's away from the rocks and she let out a breath of relief. "Thanks Rex, I'm sorry for that." Lucy admitted, blushing in embarrassment.

"Hey it's okay Lucy. If anything it's my fault for scaring you." He apologised and offered Erza the reins. She accepted gracefully and then suddenly shot off as Happy landed next to Natsu.

"He liiiikes her." Happy teased once they were out of ear shot.

Unbeknownst to any of the Fairy Tail members present there was another person there with blue curled hair and in a blue bikini with white spots on it and she was watching them or rather she was watching a certain Ice Make Mage. It was Juvia Lockser, and this time there was no rain around. "My darling Gray, even though it pains me to be separated from you my heart still soars whenever I see you." She said out loud and two passersby gave her a funny look.

The group continued to have fun throughout the day and tried some of the other attractions in the amusement park that was there and at one point had ice cream, which naturally led to Natsu and Gray having an eating contest. Perhaps unsurprisingly Gray won as the cold food found its way to Natsu's head and hit him hard, but Gray didn't feel a thing. When the sun was setting they were in their rooms having a short nap before they would check out the casino there.

Rex and Erza were sharing several scoops of strawberry cheesecake ice cream, through subtle manipulation on Rex's part. "I have to admit, this is almost as good as when makes it. Almost." Erza admitted with a small smile on her face.

"Almost?" Rex joked, raising his eyebrows as if pretending to be shocked at the idea. He got the reaction he wanted, and there was a pink blush spreading across Erza's cheeks. Then he spooned another portion of the ice cream and held it towards Erza who accepted the gift, but at the last second Rex pulled it away teasingly and ate the ice cream.

"I can't let you have it all now can I?" He joked, winking at her and she let out a small cry of pain as he swallowed it. She didn't know whether to be upset or angry and Rex tensed his legs up as if expecting her to lash out. Instead he saw her blushing furiously at him even more.

Happy let out a small chuckle and Lucy saw her eyes widen at the fun those two were having. It looked increasingly as if they were in their own little world and sooner or later one of them would end up admitting their feelings for the other.

Erza got to her room, still in her bikini, and flopped down on the bed, whilst Rex decided to have a shower and freshen up. When she closed her eyes however, she eventually found herself dreaming about what happened to her. Erza was smaller and younger and in a strange construction site being forced to work by hooded people. She didn't hear anything, and was then being tortured. The last thing she heard in that dream was the voice of a boy screaming in agony then laughing.

Erza sat bolt upright and let out a sharp gasp. No tower, no pain, nothing but the sound of her drumming heartbeat. She looked up and saw Rex, wearing a towel, but with a look of concern on his face. "Erza... are you okay?" He asked and there was a look on his face that reminded her of _him_, except it was one that cared.

"Yes, i-it was just a nightmare." Erza responded and she felt a little bit uneasy. As if by instinct she Requipped back into her Heart Kreuz Armour and began calming down. However she still had a wary look on her face, something that Rex failed to miss and the look on his face grew softer. "I must have fallen asleep from the exhaustion."

"Have a nice cold drink of water then." Rex suggested and poured some from a jug that came as part of the room and froze a bit of the water with an Ice Beam from the tip of his finger.

Erza took the glass of water and began drinking slowly as she faced the mirror. Rex was on the bed and saw the light shining through the windows, illuminating her and making her look like a goddess and that caused him to blush. "I've always felt more at ease with my armour, though I don't think it's a good fashion choice." She admitted out loud.

Rex got up and looked surprised at that comment. "Seriously? I thought that you look just fine even with your armour." He said with sincerity and Erza turned to smile at him. Luckily, the comment about her armour threw his embarrassment off and his cheeks returned to their normal slightly tan self.

"Thank you Rex, I appreciate the comment." She replied and then once she had finished her drink for some reason she sat down next to him and they just stared out in silence, watching the sun set and the blue sky now becoming a calming shade of orange. All they could hear aside from some noise coming from the casino was the waves breaking into the shore.

After a while, Rex put an arm round her and pulled them closer and their bodies leaned against each other for support and Erza let out a pitiful moan that made Rex chuckle in amusement and they ended up giving into their fatigue and lay down gently on the plush bed that seemed to want to wash their fatigue away.

There was a sudden knock on the door that made them freeze. Lucy poked her head through and she was wearing a red dress and Cancer had done her hair. Upon seeing the pair of them laying down in the bed she backed out a little, as if something else was going on and she came in at a bad time.

"What are you two lovebirds waiting for?" The Celestial Wizard teased them and Erza blushed furiously. "The guys and I are outside waiting for you to go to the casino and they are getting impatient." Lucy pointed out.

They quickly stood up and began moving to get their clothes on. "That's right, we're going right now." Erza nodded and then requipped into a purple coloured dress with white gloves and a flower pattern on it. Erza also had her hair tied up in a bun.

"...Wow Erza, you look amazing." Rex complimented though privately thought that she was going a little bit over the top with the outfit. He was going in his regular outfit, but it was cleaned and ironed to look and smell nicer. Rex had had limited experience with casinos but knew they were their to suck out money. However this was to be a night of fun and celebration and after having his share of the money earned from his recent job, why not?

As he was locking the room though, a chill ran down his spine and he looked around. "I don't know why but I have a bad feeling about what will happen next." He mused. "No, that's me being paranoid after Phantom and Bluebell." He shook his head and began following Erza and Lucy quickly.

* * *

**Akane Casino**

Akane Casino was a mishmash of neon coloured lights with practically everything that a casino should have. Roulette, slot machines, blackjack and poker. It even had lottery machines and waitresses who went round, handing out the occasional drink.

When they got into the casino, Natsu and Happy had rushed immediately to the lottery machines and began trying his luck at them. He picked the number seventeen several times and in each case it never came up. At one point the machine decided to troll him and throw out a number sixteen. It made him angry.

"Come on number seventeen, why the hell did you that to me?" Natsu cried in frustration and attacked the machine.

"Try again Natsu, maybe this time you'll get lucky." Happy suggested.

Natsu decided to have just one more try and pulled the lever. "Seventeen, seventeen, seven- that is utter crap and biased!" He shouted in outrage as the machine trolled him again with sixteen. Natsu then proceeded to attack the machine with his fire and someone came over to try and calm him down.

"Now that ain't dandy in the slightest bud." The man said. He wore a red fedora and a pair of curved glasses, which was at odds with his quite literally square face and a yellow scarf. He also wore a blue suit with a red tie. "Start acting your age and show some respect. It ain't hurting you."

His appearance was what caught Natsu and Happy by surprise.

"Blockhead!" "He's so square!"

The man then smirked. "Look buddy, there are two paths a man can take-" He began as his arms morphed and began restraining Natsu before sticking him hard against.

"Natsu!" Happy cried out.

"You can either live dandy..." He carried on and morphed his right arm into a gun. "...or roll over and die. Now tell me somethin'. Where is Erza and that dandy fellow who calls himself the Guardian Fairy?" He demanded calmly and a red laser was pointed directly at Natsu's head.

Natsu took in a breath before ignoring him and making a demand of his own. "What the hell do you want with Erza and Rex?!" He asked just as the lights went out.

"Wrong answer birdie." The man smirked before firing a magic bullet at a ranting Natsu who then suddenly slumped and was unconscious but still imprisoned.

"Where are you Natsu?" Happy cried out, unable to see where he was.

The man then walked closer to Happy and aimed his polygon shaped rifle at him. "Your disrespectful friend ain't gonna be here to help you." He said and fired his Sleep Bullet at the blue cat. "Millianna is going to love you."

Gray had decided to play cards elsewhere in the casino and was currently doing pretty well, having won four times in a row despite making an initial loss. It was at that point he decided to quit the game and walk over to get a nice cold drink as it was quite stuffy in the casino.

Then a female Mage approached him, one he met once before. It was Juvia Lockser, former S-Class Mage of Phantom Lord and in a different costume. She wore a plain blue navy dress and high heels, and there was also a noticeable necklace with the Fairy Tail symbol on it in gold. "My darling Gray!" She called out to him.

Gray raised an eyebrow at the comment. "Huh? You're that chick from Phantom Lord. So what are you doing now Juvia?" He asked innocently.

Juvia blushed, glad that Gray had noticed her. "Well, since Phantom Lord was disbanded I'm a free Mage. At first I was unsure of what to do but then I remembered you and how you treated me back then." She explained and Gray instantly saw what she was going on about.

"You're gonna join Fairy Tail?" Gray asked, surprised at this and Juvia nodded. "After what you did to Lucy and me, you better hope the Master is forgiving."

Juvia froze on the spot and began worrying about him when she heard the name Lucy and her eyes narrowed. _Is this Lucy also flirting with Gray? _She thought venomously and nodded. "I'll do anything to make up for my actions!" Juvia declared.

Gray smiled at this and Juvia began dreaming about her romance with him and that stopped when they were approached by a rather unique man. For starters he stood a good head taller than both of them and was wearing a turban. He was also wearing an eye patch across his left eye and it looked as if there was a scar that went through it as well

Another distinct feature was that the man also wore a metal lower jaw bearing lines of studs on its upper edges and two side protrusions jutting upwards, plus a set of teeth-like ornaments. He wore a sash across his body that went diagonally across to his left shoulder and the left arm was covered by a sleeve. The sash was light blue and had a pattern of red double edged axes on it.

"Gray Fullbuster?" He inquired.

This riled up Juvia who got between them. "Don't lay a finger on Gray!" She threatened.

"Juvia Lockser, an independent Mage now?" He said calmly before smacking her aside and there was shock planted on her face.

Gray was now riled up and took an offensive stance. "What the hell was that for?" He asked the stranger and made his two handed stance. In response a periwinkle seal appeared and the bar suddenly exploded and Juvia was buried under a part of it.

"Where is Erza?" The man asked and he looked at Gray, waiting patiently. "And the Guardian Fairy?"

_He's after Erza and Rex? _Gray thought in confusion. "What do you want them for?" He asked, but didn't let his guard down.

The man, Simon, ignored that question. "Where are Erza and Rex?" He asked before they both noticed that something happened near them.

Water began forming and splashing out from underneath the wood that had buried Juvia and then a blob of water began reconstructing itself and Juvia appeared from behind and a water blue Seal appeared in front of her. "Any enemy of Gray is also my enemy. Hurry Gray, and find Erza!" She ordered and began preparing a Spell.

In that time Simon connected to someone with Telepathy. _Have you found Erza? _He asked two males and a female. After receiving a reply from them he then said, _I'll make things easier for a moment. _Simon added and another periwinkle Seal appeared before everything blacked out.

"Huh? What the hell is this?" Gray demanded, trying to see anything that had happened. At roughly the same time there was bright flash of light somewhere else, forcing him to shut his eyes.

"This is my Dark Moment. You can't see anything." Simon replied though he was shaken by the fact that Gray had seen the bright flash of light and focused as he began charging another attack.

Juvia then sensed another attack coming. "Look out my darling!" She cried and then cast a Spell as Gray and Simon did and there was another explosion.

Meanwhile, Erza, Rex and Lucy had gone to one of the gambling tables where there was a game of poker going on. Rex briefly thought back to the Mauville Game Corner that he had visited during his year in Hoenn. He wasn't quite sure how he did it but he ended up making a bit more money than when he started.

Initially his luck was rather bad, not getting higher than three of a kind, though he was smart and knew when to call it quits early on. By contrast Erza seemed pretty lucky and almost won every hand she got. There were several times she had to split with other players and twice split with Rex.

Lucy didn't take part but was impressed at her luck. "You're doing really good Erza." She admitted.

Erza showed her confidence and Rex could have sworn that she was bragging. "I think luck is on my side tonight." She stated as she scooped up the money she had just one and Rex began praying for better cards in his next hand.

The cards went round the five people playing the match. Rex looked at his cards and saw something that actually might work in his favour for once. He decided to raise the bet and refused the offer to change any of his cards, keeping a straight face whilst doing so, though the other people playing noted that and wondered whether he was bluffing or not.

Eventually the other three players folded and even Lucy was surprised at his apparent sudden switch in confidence. When asked to reveal their cards, Erza revealed a straight. Three of clubs, four of diamonds, five of hearts, six of spades and seven of diamonds. "Lady Luck is on my side."

"WOAH! That's you third straight in a row." Lucy commented and was making no attempt to hide being impressed.

"So I guess this makes things bad then?" Rex pondered out loud and revealed his full house. There were three sevens and two aces. This left the girls amazed at his sudden change in fortune. "I guess her husband clearly favours me then." He replied, exaggerating the confidence in himself.

"Dealer change." A guy from behind the playing area said, and the current dealer nodded before changing to someone else. The dealer was now a young man, with blonde hair, arrange in a wavy look with fringes hanging above his forehead and has tan skin. He has somewhat dark beady eyes and a small 5-shaped tattoo can be located below his lower lip. He also has an earring with diamond ornaments attached on his right ear.

There was something about the way he looked at Rex that sent warning signs through him but he ignored those. "Why don't we play a special game?" The dealer asked casually before his voice became serious. "But instead of betting coins... we bet with our lives." He suggested.

Then he dealt out five cards that were black and white that spelt out 'DEATH' and the dealer carried on. "Don't you remember me sister?" He asked of Erza specifically.

That comment made Erza gasp and she began trembling as an ice cold realisation began crawling up her spine. "No... it can't be... Shô? What...?" She asked in surprise.

"Erza, what's wrong? How do you know him?" Rex asked her calmly. If this Shô person hurt her then he would use Volt Tackle, but her next words make him think twice.

"But that's not possible, how could you be here?" She asked and it suddenly went pitch black, for almost everyone.

Rex grabbed her and pulled the two of them to the floor, instructing Lucy telepathically to get down and raised a hand. Then he illuminated the whole room using Flash for a moment but it was swallowed by the darkness. At the same time a bullet shot was heard and Natsu was silenced and Simon cast a spell that created an explosion. Then the lights turned on and there was initially no sign of Shô.

"Tell me sister, how have you been?" Shô asked idly, and then they saw another thing. Aside from themselves and a few other, there was no one else.

"Where is everyone?" Rex asked, cutting across anything Erza may have said.

Shô looked at him seemingly uninterested at first. "Where d'you think?" He asked before picking up a card and waving it in the air. Rex saw that the person was _inside _the actual card. Then he looked on as the expression on Shô's face turned from calm to anger. "But that's nothing compared to her two betrayals!" He shouted.

"You can... use Magic?" Erza asked as if she had never seen it before and from that Rex deduced that they must not have been able to use it whenever they last met.

Shô's expression relaxed once more. "Is that such a novel concept to you sister?" He asked.

Then Lucy let out a cry of agony from behind and saw she was trapped in some sort of strange tube. At the same time a female voice with more energy to it said, "Hiya Erza, nice night. Are ya feeling spiffy yet?" It came from Millianna who looked like a human cat. Indeed her face had many cat like features and she had four red stripes on her face. She also wore a yellow jacket, a pink dress with a bow tie, white leggings and a choker with a bell on it.

"Help me... Rex!" Lucy pleaded as she was squeezed tighter by the tubes.

"Aren't you impressed Erzy-worzy? Don't tell me your spiff has faded over the years." Millianna pretended to be concerned only for Erza and glanced at Rex. "Now who is this young person you have with you?" She asked pointing to Rex and Shô felt his anger rising again.

"Rex, and please let Lucy go Millianna. She's a friend of mine and he is as well." Erza pleaded.

Millianna gave it some thought and stopped smiling as if she had been insulted, lowering her head. When she raised it again it was something that could only be described as mocking. "I thought we were your friends. At least until you abandoned us." She pointed out, spitting out the word abandoned like an epithet.

"Erza..." Rex began in a neutral tone, wondering what was going on here. If what her presumably old friends were saying was true then he would be shaken by this badly. But at the same time he didn't know what was happening and so wanted to understand why she did it.

"Rex, please you have to understand I didn't leave them behind willingly-" Erza began and then a card buried itself between them.

"LIES!" Shô roared and drew another card, aiming for the Guardian Fairy.

"Let Lucy go Catwoman. That was not a request." Rex said coolly and he switched to the Sky Plate, preparing to use Air Slash.

Shô widened his eyes upon seeing the transformation with his own eyes. "So... it's just like he said, this Take Over is more than just a normal Take Over." He admitted, staring at Sky Forme Rex and seeing air currents being slowly drawn to his hands. His concern now lied in whether or not they could capture both Erza and Rex, as the latter was the one that his Master warned him about, telling him to look out for an unusual form of Take Over.

"Ha ha ha ha! I don't think so, you can't order me around." Millianna ignored him and felt the air rushing past her in between the two girls and hit the wall behind them, creating several cracks.

"The next one will hit for sure." Rex warned.

"No wait! Rex don't harm them!" Erza said, getting up suddenly and she shook his hand. Rex faltered and gave in, seeing that it would probably upset her even more if he decided to attack.

It was at that moment the polygon man disappeared and reappeared besides Erza in a number of small blocks. "Holy smokes a Porygon man!" Rex gaped and he aimed a polygon shaped rifle at him, making Rex regret that joke.

"Calling me that ain't dandy in the slightest!" Wally Buchanan burst out angrily at him before turning his attention to Erza. "How ya doin' dollface? It's been too long."

It was then that the big hulking form of Simon walked up behind Shô and the other newcomers and looked briefly at Rez before turning to Erza. "Erza, anyone can learn Magic. Given the right incentive." He pointed out, hinting at the implied torment they had suffered when they were close to each other.

"Wally... Simon..." Erza gasped in shock, astounded to see her friends and how differently they all looked.

"Wait a sec, aren't your friends in Fairy Tail though?" Lucy asked her and avoided making any reference to her and Rex being together.

Erza shook her head. "That was before then. But if you're here then does that mean..?" She trailed off in fear.

Simon was the only one who didn't smile and Millianna burst out loud in laughter. "Dollface, it means that the Tower of Heaven is almost finished. Now come quietly with Jellal, or the gall here gets it." Wally said and swung his Polygon Rifle at Lucy with the obvious intention to shoot.

"She isn't going anywhere you fools!" Rex shouted and Teleported behind Wally before using Thunder Punch to throw off his aim and Wally ended up hitting a wall and creating a large hole in it.

"Why you sonova-" Wally began as he noticed the smoke come of his body and swung his Rifle at him but Rex teleported back next to Erza.

Simon took in the scene before him, observing his speed and power. Having seen some footage from a Lacrima, he knew that Rex was much stronger than that. Then he realised that he was holding back for her and didn't want to seriously injure any of the group. _Millianna! _He shouted quickly with his Telepathy.

The cat like woman nodded. "Okay. **Nekōsoku Tube!**" She cried and a pink Seal appeared, followed up by the same orange tube that had caught Lucy and it quickly wrapped itself round Rex, who fell back onto the floor due to the position he was in and rolled onto his side to look at his captors. "Try breaking out of that!" She dared him and imitated a cat meowing, sounding like a Glameow to Rex.

"Challenge Accept- ahhh!" Rex winced as they suddenly tightened on him. Then he slowly began wriggling and getting on his knees, and every move he made felt awkward. Rex managed to lie on his knees, looking at the group who wanted Erza with a determined look in his eyes and then proceeded to use Strength and fight back against the tubes which stretched to try and keep him trapped.

"What? No way!" Millianna cried, shocked to see him not only using Magic, but fighting it as well.

Perhaps unsurprisingly the only one who wasn't fazed by this development was Simon. He was the only one besides Jellal who knew that Rex came from another world, and remembered when he found out. It made him lose his calm demeanour and replace it with shock. "Knock him out." Simon told Wally.

The polygon shaped male grinned and then used his Sleep Bullet spell and Rex felt something hit his back and was slowly knocked unconscious. The last thing his vision registered was Erza running to him and checking to see if he was okay. "Ain't it cute dollface. Why not show that when it comes to us?" Wally asked as if it had never happened.

Erza felt her mouth run dry, because she couldn't reply to that. Wally didn't need one and used the same spell again to knock her out this time. "You can't just take them!" Lucy protested.

Millianna looked at before moving her hands so they were even tighter and Lucy screamed in pain. "5 more minutes and you'll be cat food. You can't use Magic, so don't bother." She hissed at her before turning to face Wally and seeing the sleeping form of Happy in his hands. Her mood flipped and she stared at him in adoration, looking more like a cat than she had ever done. "He's so cute! I'll keep him and love him and feed him and I will call him George!" She waffled on and began daydreaming about her spending time with 'George'.

A pair of ears twitched as they heard that statement.

Shô smirked as they walked out of the casino. "Don't worry sister, you'll soon see when you come back to the Tower of Heaven. Jellal has been waiting for you specifically." He said to her unconscious body and Erza began subconsciously thinking about the Tower of Heaven.

Back inside the casino, Lucy fumbled around for her keys. "Open: Gate of the Golden Bull - Taurus!" She chanted but nothing happened. No bell ringing, no flash of golden light, nothing. Lucy began to panic as she felt the pain of the tubes increasing even more and saw something jump towards her.

It was a man trapped in one of Shô's cards, and he was left behind. "I'm not sure how but I can cut the tubes through the card. Just please keep still." He requested and Lucy shivered as she did so. It felt like forever and in that time the ropes slowly began tightening, but Lucy was freed before she became cat food.

Lucy felt the pressure from the Nekōsoku Tube ease and she sighed in relief, noting the red marks on her skin. She ran a finger over it and felt the difference between that and her normal skin. Looking round for signs of the others she saw Gray and was relieved, but it quickly turned to shock as a pole had pierced his chest and she shrieked with horror.

Then she saw his body break apart into many lumps of ice. Did Gray become solid ice when he died? Lucy thought and then a female voice disproved that theory.

"Don't worry about Gray, he's safe with me." Juvia proudly proclaimed as her Water Lock Spell subsided, revealing a topless Gray beneath. "That large man attacked the fake." She noted and also blushed at the fact that she had Gray all to herself.

"Thanks. Lucy, have you seen Natsu?" Gray asked her as he stood up and Juvia got mad behind his back at her beloved paying attention to this blonde freak. It was official, they are now love rivals with it being one sided towards Juvia.

"BLOCKHEAD!" Natsu roared as a pillar of fire suddenly shot out from the lottery where he was shot unconscious. "When I get my hands on you!" He threatened and pretended to wring an invisible Wally.

Juvia hesitated for a moment as she saw the roaring fire. "Is he always like this?" She asked Gray.

"Yes, unfortunately." Gray replied, and both he and Lucy began sweatdropping nervously.

Lucy then remembered what just had happened. "We gotta go after Rex and Erza!" She shouted and that caught everyone's attention.

"Whaddaya mean Rex and Erza?" Natsu asked.

Lucy then began explaining about how they were playing poker and the next dealer Shô, whom Erza had recognised. Then the casino suddenly went dark and she heard noise coming from where the others were and she was attacked too, but was one of the few people who was still around. She was caught with Binding Magic used by Millianna and how Erza recognised them and began shaking up, and that the group comprised of Wally, Simon, Shô and Millianna had kidnapped Rex, Happy and Erza.

"And what's worse, Rex seemed thrown off by something. It looked as if he wasn't sure what to feel." Lucy pointed out and Juvia was confused for a moment, seeing everyone else's eyes widen in shock and disbelief.

"Is this the same person who fought José?" Juvia asked. She had read reports of what happened afterwards but didn't understand the significance of it at first, since she had fallen unconscious head over heel for Gray following her defeat at his hands.

"The same. If this is true then we're in serious trouble!" Gray realised, and began to pale.

"We can't sit around here! We gotta get Happy back as well!" Natsu shouted, shock becoming anger and heat radiating from his body.

Gray then saw something out of the corner of his eye. Looking over at what was the poker table that looked more like in shambles, but wasn't destroyed he saw a red and white sphere next to the leg of a chair. "Doesn't this belong to Rex?" He frowned and then realised that it must have fallen off his trademark belt which kept all of his Pokémon safe and sealed. Gray picked it up and dusted it down a bit before finding the white button that stuck out. "So I press this thing?" He said out loud and everyone watched as Braviary appeared in a flash of white light.

"Akane Resort!" Braviary, with eyes closed, cried happily and spread his wings. Juvia was surprised at the sheer size of him. "Sun, sea and... oh dear Arceus what has happened here?" Braviary gaped upon seeing the mess and upon seeing Juvia narrowed his eyes.

"It talks!" Juvia cried out in shock.

"Wait, wait, wait! She's on our side!" Gray said hesitantly and began explaining recent events. Braviary became calmer and stayed calm even when he heard about Rex being kidnapped. Wings folded in, he began thinking to himself and muttering things over for a while.

Braviary then looked up with a changed expression on his face. "I see." He said simply before looking out and considering things and suddenly flew upwards and began circling the casino, keeping an eye out to sea, looking for any sign of him. The three Mages saw his underside and looked on in wonder as he glided around gracefully and then landed on the floor again. "Okay, Rex is currently on a boat several miles away in that direction heading for an erratic tower. Presumably that is the Tower of Heaven you keep referring to, squawk." He pointed out with a wing when he landed.

Natsu began sniffing around. "Their scent is weak, but it does go towards there. How do you know anyway?"

Braviary gave a small smile. "My eyesight is many times better than any human and Dragon Slayer. I can spot minutes details from miles away and close up. This is all true by the way." Then he looked out with more concern that was there earlier. "No... I don't want to end up like the time before I met Rex. I won't let that happen, cacaw!" Braviary screeched and everyone covered their ears.

"Before you met Rex? What happened then?" Gray asked, curious despite the more imminent danger.

Braviary flew on top of the poker table and perched on it it between two cards, poking them away slightly with his talon and began telling them of the time when he met Rex. "It started when I was a Rufflet, my pre evolved self by the way..."

* * *

(Flashback, Unova Route 11)

_Unova Route 11 was between Opelucid City and the Village Bridge, and as such was a nice place to just relax and walk through. One could take in the scenery and not really care about the wild Pokémon. There were several waterfalls and high up at the top of those waterfalls were where most Pokémon lived, though they sometimes came down here for whatever reason and occasionally run into a Trainer had they been unlucky enough. _

_In the forests above the mountains lived a several families of Braviary and their Rufflet. They lived together peacefully and would often enjoy a good fight together, and would defend themselves from threats when the need arrived. Rufflet was one of four who was waiting for his father to come back with berries, and unfortunately for him was the runt of the group. It wasn't by much though compared to the next smallest sibling but still got mocked by his older siblings._

_"You gotta be real careful runt." The oldest sibling told him and Rufflet jumped suddenly in fear. "You know, there is that human city close to us, and a lot of dragon types are seen going out and to there. What's more they are slowly invading the forest, preying on weaklings like you!" He snapped his beak close to him._

_Rufflet backed away and shook his head. "T-t-that's nonsense." He argued, trying to show he was not afraid._

_But the oldest sibling didn't miss the fact that he was afraid and carried on. "But it's true though. Why, just last week I encountered a beast of a dragon with a giant red face and red claws the size of your stomach." He told in a dramatic fashion. The other two siblings were also watching with nothing better to do._

_"W-what happened?" Rufflet asked, berating himself silently as he did so._

_"We fought a long hard battle. I could feel the adrenaline pumping through me as he used Dragon Claw. I felt it swish through the air and hit a tree, almost breaking it in two. But I outsmarted it using my superior speed naturally and attacked with all my might. The dragon appeared unfazed yet frustrated at it's inability to hit me, so it let out a vicious roar." Ruff continued, then jumped besides Rufflet and let out a loud screech that made him fall backwards and cry out in fear. The other siblings couldn't help but snicker._

_"I continued my determined assault, making sure to never show fear in my eyes and keep going. Then, with all my speed I ploughed into it with Superpower and managed to send it reeling backwards a few steps and it clearly felt fear as it looked quietly at me. It continues its assault, still weary of my strength and throws a Fire Punch, felling the same tree that it had hit with Dragon Claw. I dodge expertly and get an assault from behind."_

_Ruff had made himself look larger for dramatic effect. "Then fortune appeared to favour the great beast as it swung with another Dragon Claw, and hits me. But I am not deterred, because I believe in my strength. I continued to fight, ignoring the pain the dragon inflicted on me and it still used Dragon Claw. I counter with another Superpower and hit it hard head on. He stands his ground, annoyed at how a great fighter I am. Though weakened I continue to battle and hit it in the nose with Crush Claw, and the villain flees as he knows he cannot win." He concluded and smiled arrogantly._

_Rufflet shook his head. "I-I-I still d-don't believe that you h-h-have seen this d-dragon you k-keep boasting about!" He replied tersely and the other two siblings in a rare moment actually agreed with each other._

_"Come on bro, Superpower? Really? Since when have you known the move?" The other brother, Tuff snorted in derision at the idea of using such a strong move._

_"So Ruff, can you tell me which tree it was. I would really like to see it." Riff, the female sibling challenged him. Nobody made fun of her because she was a girl and they all learnt that the hard way. Secretly, Rufflet was the only one she didn't beat up, but gave him a few scars to make it look that way because she was the only one who took pity on him._

_"Well I suppose... if I could remember which one that was... I mean..." Ruff blustered and tried to not show that be had been rumbled._

_Tuff began laughing. "Haha! Big Magikarp over here can't even remember a simple tree! How pathetic!" He cried out loud, sneering at his older brother._

_Ruff didn't like the idea of being shown up and jumped up to the second sibling. "You wanna start something, Mime head?!" He threatened and glared piercingly at the second._

_"Any time, big Karp!" Tuff leered back at him and then Ruff pounced at him and the two began their own tussle, without using moves and relying on physical power instead of the fancy fight as Tuff called it and were soon lost in their own dust cloud with grunt and insults being the only thing heard from them._

_Rufflet turned to Riff. "S-should we s-s-stop them?" He asked nervously._

_His sister shook his head. "No, let mom or dad take care of this." She replied carelessly and was watching them, noticing now that Ruff had pinned down Tuff and the second sibling was putting up a fair struggle to his credit, albeit useless. _

_"Whaddaya say to me, Trainer bird?" Ruff snarled and jabbed at his younger brother in the back. To any wild Pokémon, being called or even implied to being a Trainer's pet was the worst insult anyone could use. Even Riff was shocked at how easily the word came to the oldest sibling. "WELL?"_

_"I'm sorry big bro! I was only fooling around!" Tuff replied, whimpering as Ruff relaxed himself and took his weight off. Tuff slowly got up and expected another attack, eyeing Ruff wearily. When nothing happened he regained his confidence a bit though remained silent and kept his distance._

_It was perhaps lucky for them that their mother swooped back to their little nest with ease and they quickly made their way over to one side for fearing of feeling her weight crush then by accident. Their mother was a typical Braviary - strong, some scars and a fighting spirit. Their father wasn't the first one to have a crush on her but he was the only one who could keep up with her in a battle, and after that no Braviary was allowed to show their affection to her._

_"I heard fighting. What happened?" She asked calmly, in that particular tone. When she used 'that' tone, it was not good to try her patience._

_"It was the runts fault, he kept on interrupting the story I was trying to tell about the dragon." Ruff quickly blurted out and were it not for 'that' tone they would have objected._

_"You mean about the Druddigon you claimed to have encountered?" She replied coolly and then Ruff realised that he was busted. "From what I saw with my eyes you three didn't believe you and then you got into a fight with Tuff, is that not correct?" Braviary asked, keeping her calm tone. It was much better for her if so done told the truth rather than lie as Rufflet had the unfortunate experience of finding out. He made this mistake once and ended up having to sleep outside the nest for one night._

_There were general nods from the four siblings, knowing that if she saw it with her exceptional eyesight than lying would be of no use. Braviary considered it for a moment before addressing Tuff. "Whilst you were the one fighting him, you weren't the cause of the fight. You'll get a smaller portion of the berries the next time round. As for you Ruff you will also get that punishment but also spend a night outside the nest." Braviary lay it on firmly and made sure there were no arguments, especially from the eldest sibling who only nodded meekly and knew better than to argue._

_A loud flapping noise meant the return of their father, Quill. He was a young, strong Braviary like his wife but also had a quality that made him different from other Braviary - respect. Many of his species often trash talked their opponents despite being noble and helping others, but Quill respected each and every Pokémon he had faced, even compliment them in difficult situations. Quill and Braviary greeted each other the standard way for a couple, tapping each side of their beak._

_"So what did you do today father?" Riff asked him eagerly as they all dashed over to greet him._

_"Nothing really exciting. I had be a peace broker for a group of Bisharp led Pawniard and Zangoose. They have been claiming that each other have been taking more of the berries closer to the river, but it was actually those humans who did so. One recently passed through here that they didn't know about and got themselves in a scuffle. Though the Pawniard and Bisharp have an advantage, a few of the Zangoose were expert Brick Break users and really knew how to hurt them, so they called for me and the other two males to come in and sort things out." Quill admitted, acting like it was nothing._

_That was another job that the Braviary were famous for. They were also peacekeepers _(not **those **Peacekeepers from Panem) _and would be called in to settle disputes and force both sides to cooperate. If either side broke the peace then the Braviary who were involved would be free to pursue and beat them up, and it was often the case that at least two Braviary attended the peacekeeping. A gang of five might be able to deal with one, but had no real hope against two or three. Especially if they knew Superpower or Heat Wave. _

_"I've heard stories of that particular group, they are a vicious bunch but without a Bisharp to guide them they would go on the warpath. Let's hope he can keep a leash on his subordinates." Braviary observed with concern on her face._

_"I've heard stories from the other two brokers about how their father's got into a negotiation between Zangoose and Seviper, which ended up in both sides being beaten up quite badly." Quill added, hoping silently that he would not have to do such a thing one day. He took his mind off of that and turned his attention to his three kids. "Anyway, who wants to see how much they have improved?" Quill asked jovially._

_Everyone, including Rufflet jumped up at the chance. "Okay then, follow me." Quill replied, satisfied with the response and then began flying low between the trees and there was a scramble to follow him._

_Ruff looked back and leered at Rufflet. "Come on runt! No time for the slow!" He mocked and jumped up, flying shortly to make sure that he could see his father as the grass began to grow taller. _

_Rufflet tried the same trick and was only capable of managing it for a second before crashing down. Even though he could see Ruff still in the air, at least he was at the stage of gliding in the air. Rufflet tried it a few more times but ended up crashing down each time after a few seconds and that made him lose his balance and trip. Rufflet felt his whole world roll around him before finally coming to a halt. The grass was higher than him now and he couldn't make out anything except for the occasional tree branch._

_"Dad? Riff? Tuff? Ruff?" Rufflet called out, screeching for a while before realising that he couldn't find them and tried walking on his own. "I-I think they w-w-went this way?" He paused before turning right and going down the wrong path as it lead him into shady unknown areas, and Rufflet jumped as he heard a noise and slowly began to get the feeling that he wasn't welcome here. A twig snapped, sending him into a panic and he began running suddenly before slamming into a tree and banging his head on it._

_"Heh, fresh meat. Don't run will ya!" A stranger said from above. It was a bat like Pokémon with dark blue pincers, yellow eyes and a black membrane. There was a sinister hint to his tone that Rufflet did not find pleasant and he began tremble in fear. "Scared?" Gliscor mocked before swooping down on Rufflet._

_Out of instinct, thanks to his brothers mocking and occasional beating of him Rufflet dived out of the way and began running back in the direction which he thought that he came in, but the grass wasn't helping things much and in fact ended up going right instead straight back like he was supposed to and Gliscor glided elegantly in pursuit as they went into another bunch of trees. _

_"Gotcha!" The Gliscor crowed and swooped in with Thunder Fang, but narrowly missed his target and crashed into the ground. "Bah! No matter!" It shrugged off the miss, actually enjoying the hunt and was soon gliding again. It eyed Rufflet up and then swooped down a bit to the left, forcing him to go right and towards the river. Gliscor turned and swooped down again, hovering until he was half a metre above Rufflet with another Thunder Fang._

_This time Gliscor successfully nabbed Rufflet but something awakened inside of him and he retaliated with Aerial Ace, with little success. But that fact that the prey actually fought back for once made Gliscor weary all of a sudden and unconsciously slackened his gripped. This allowed Rufflet to attack several more times until he was free but the Thunder Fang took its toll. No flinching or paralysis._

_"Damn, that Rufflet is a fighter but won't be for longer!" Gliscor sneered as he got up a tree and began gliding in the air, swooping down on Rufflet. Though, as if there were some sort of sixth sense, Rufflet jumped out of the way but stumbled and began rolling down a steep slope into the river that would eventually lead to the lower section of the Route where Trainers were._

_"Dammit! You fool! I gotta get him and avoid a Trainer though." Gliscor berated himself and followed Rufflet._

_The Eaglet Pokémon unfortunately couldn't swim very well and mostly made a kerfuffle. This was mainly due to the fact that he wasn't upright and only got gasps of air but by sheer luck and repeated thrashing Rufflet managed to upright himself though still tried to get out, even if he could only fly for a second. Rufflet tried going to one side but the current got stronger as he turned the corner and the vine slipped out of his beak._

_The waterfall was getting closer and Rufflet began to panic as the river was getting wider. It was now or never and he frantically began splashing to the ground nearest to him. Unfortunately Gliscor also spotted this opportunity and dived down with triumph and Rufflet froze up upon hearing a rush of air and was carried off by the current and fell over the waterfall._

_"Curses!" Gliscor yelled and landed on a branch, waiting to see if the Rufflet had made it._

_Rufflet was the under the water for nearly a minute and was panicking again as he couldn't find air,but was save when he was calmer water and swam as best as he could. When Rufflet broke the surface there was the last thing he expected to see. A Trainer._

_Rex Vermend had just refreshed from beating the Opelucid City Gym and earned his seventh badge, the Legend Badge, after defeating Drayden at the Opelucid Gym. It was by no means easy, as his initial strategy had been to use Gardevoir and plough his way through and follow it up with Lairon and Sliggoo, and he was convinced that both the Soft Tissue Pokémon and the Iron Armour Pokémon were close to evolving. _

_It didn't go to plan though as Drayden had knocked his Gardevoir out early on using a Druddigon and although his Lairon beat the Druddigon he eventually fell to his Fraxure which meant that he would have to face his last two Pokémon with a Sliggoo. It started out rough but through perseverance they had successfully beaten his Haxorus, though his Sliggoo fainted shortly after beating Haxorus. Now it was just one more Gym Leader and then the League Tournament before the Elite Four._

_He had changed his look slightly over the years and didn't expect Unova to be so temperamental compared to Kalos or Hoenn. At least with Kalos you knew what the weather was going to be like where you were,and Hoenn was more or less tropical over the whole region, except for the area above Fortree Town on the map where it wasn't cooler, but rather dryer, more Saharan._

_Rex was currently wearing a thick brown jacket that was fur lined around the collar and hands on top of his long sleeved yellow shirt that also contained the Mega Evolution symbol on it. His hair was longer too and fell below his shoulders. He wore his normal dark coloured jeans before coming to Fiore and wore combat boots instead of roller skate shoes._

_"Man that was too tight for comfort. I have to do some training when I can find a suitable spot to rest. Maybe if I ran into a few wild Pokémon along this Route I could send out Sliggoo, she could definitely use it now she knows Dragon Pulse." Rex began muttering out loud to himself and then sighed. "No negativity Rex, this time you won't lose!" He said to himself to lift his spirits._

_There was a splashing sound to his left that was out of time with the waterfall and Rex turned his head, waiting to see what would happened and considered sending out his Greninja but stopped when he saw a small flying type Pokémon come out with a large white plune of feathers come out and stagger on the side. "Who's that Pokémon?" He asked curiously as it looked at him._

_"Rufflet, the Eaglet Pokémon. Rufflet's talons are powerful. Able to crack open even the toughest Berries. It often challenges stronger opponents to battle." His Pokedex droned._

_"Now that is cool!" Rex said admirably and saw that it was frightened by him. "Take it easy, I won't hurt you. I just wanna make sure you're alright. Hopefully you won't attack me and I might be able to help though I have very low expectations." He admitted and took a step closer._

_Rufflet backed away in fear, as he had heard stories of Trainers from his parents about how they had forced others to do battle with other and pamper them and many other things a typical wild Pokémon had heard about. But being confronted by one directly who didn't appear as if he was going to mean harm made him question that perspective._

_"Look out!" Rex cried as he saw something and he picked up Rufflet before diving and rolling over. The Gliscor who had hunted Rufflet earlier had swooped down in hpes of getting a meal but cursed his luck as the Trainer had got there before him so he turned and made an intimidating gesture in hopes of making him run away._

_"But I do remember seeing Gliscor before!" Rex noted sourly and looked at the Rufflet who was frozen in fear and then at the Gliscor who was trying to scare him off. "I think I get it. No way are you going to get this Rufflet. You're gonna go through my Greninja first!" He pulled out a Pokeball and released the Ninja Pokémon to face Gliscor._

_"(Hah, a water type? This is too easy!)" Gliscor scoffed, obviously taking the small thin Greninja like it was some sort of joke, especially with Thunder Fang on his side._

_"(Don't underestimate me, that is the moment you lose.)" Greninja replied calmly and got into a fighting position._

_"Okay Greninja, use Water Shurikan and then follow it with Water Pulse!" Rex ordered and Greninja nodded as he threw five stars made out of compressed water but Gliscor glided out of the way with apparent laziness and then swooped down on Greninja with Thunder Fang. Greninja jumped out of the way, surprising Gliscor with his speed and then throwing an orb of water at him._

_Gliscor fell to the ground when he was hit and got up quickly. "(Lucky shot, but you don't stand a chance!)" He taunted him and Greninja looked unfazed._

_"(Oh, is that so? Then why am I not scared yet?)" Greninja replied coolly and used Water Shurikan again, throwing them one at a time. Gliscor dodged them and slowly got closer and was close enough to use Thunder Fang, but he dodged that one in time as well and Gliscor was beginning to get frustrated and then saw the confident look on the face of his opponents Trainer._

_"(That Rufflet belongs to me you foolish human, now get out of my way!)" Gliscor hissed and then dove at Rex with X-Scissor, shocking him greatly. Rufflet saw as the human was shocked into silence and grounded his teeth, a different look in his eyes. Just as Gliscor was about to hit him, Greninja grabbed his tail and there was a furious look on his face._

_"(You. Have. No. GODDAMN HONOUR!)" Greninja yelled and Rufflet flinched as he saw the look in its eyes and was amazed to see him stand up for his Trainer. "(You would be an outcast amongst my species for freely attacking a Trainer. So why don't we give him the usual?)" He suggested to Rex and although he never understood Pokémon directly, he knew their feelings._

_"Okay, Acrobatics, Water Pulse, then Ice Beam to finish the job!" Rex said and Greninja threw Gliscor on to the ground where he stood dazed for a moment and glided into the air, aiming for the still Greninja._

S-surely he's n-n-not going t-to stand there a-and take it i-is he? _Rufflet thought incredulously. In reality what happened was that Greninja darted forwards so fast Rufflet could have sworn it was in a blink of an eye as Greninja attacked Gliscor multiple times and then quickly threw an orb of water that confused him and then followed it up with a light blue beam that severely damaged the Gliscor to the point where he was barely standing. _

_"(Learn some decency and don't attack the Trainer next time. Especially if that Trainer happens to be him.)" Greninja warned before turning his attention to Rex and Rufflet, looking at the Eaglet Pokémon with concern._

_"Are you okay? You're not badly hurt are you?" Rex asked and Rufflet shook his head. "Hmm, well I have been thinking about adding a flying type Pokémon to my team, why don't you be a part?" He suggested._

_"(W-WHAT? But that would mean leaving my family!)" Rufflet objected and jumped out of his arms in shock._

_Greninja casually went up to him. "(These things are your who choice. He won't hold it against you.)" He pointed out and walked back to his Trainer and say down, waiting patiently and ignoring Rufflet._

_Rufflet considered it and felt himself torn between his family and this human. On one hand he could stand and follow his father but that would also mean having to put up with being the runt of the litter and staying here and face the prospect of being captured by a different one who may not be as nice. Or he could just abandon his loving family and join this Trainer, who seemed genuinely nice and willing to help._

_"Just one thing though. My training won't be easy. I want to see someone who can stay determined and keep going no matter what." Rex pointed out with a smile on his face, a genuine one._

(Flashback)

* * *

"...Of course I accepted. The reason I accepted was because Rex didn't care about the fact that I was small at the time, but because he wanted to see what I could do and we'll here we are. I do miss them sometimes, though I wonder what if I had declined." Braviary concluded.

The four Mages who was listening to his story stood in silent awe and it continued for a while. "Wow, that's amazing. Is that the same for every other member?" Lucy asked.

"More or less. But Greninja seems to feel even more passionate about him than anyone else. Maybe it's because they resonate with each other better than anyone else. So, how are we going to to get there and more specifically how do we get in?" Braviary asked, changing the subject.

"We're going by boat." Gray answered.

"Not by boat!" Natsu objected.

"I don't think swimming is a healthy idea, you'll find out when we get closer. Look, I'll be flying about like a lookout and go in the direct you're supposed to." Braviary suggested and they agreed, Natsu rather reluctantly.

**Tower of Heaven**

The Tower of Heaven can be best described as erratic and unorthodox with its twisted body and sporadically jutting sides, the Tower of Heaven appears very chaotic and asymmetrical. The bottom and main body of the tower were comprised of overlapping and intertwining lengths of metal tubes which wound together from the ground and straight up into the sky. At the top was a small green sphere with a light spike jutting out of it and a number of large silver shards sticking out mostly at the bottom.

Jellal Fernandes was sitting in his 'throne'. He had blue hair and a red marking on his face like Siegrain did but his attire was drastically different to that of his Era counterpart. For starters he wore a white shirt with a blue tint under a hooded dark blue coat with light blue edges, two strings with shield-shaped pendants hanging down from the hood and a prominent golden symbol on the left part of the chest, reminiscent of Fairy Tail's mark, plus simple, loose, dark pants tucked inside laced boots.

"Master Jellal, why would let Erza live, especially when you have Rex Vermend on board?" A man asked. He was a well muscled man but had extremely long dark blue hair and he donned a simple attire consisting of a sleeved shirt paired with plain armbands, pants, gloves and shoes.

"I let her live because she made the world interesting. Now that the Tower of Heaven is complete there is no need for her to keep living any more." Jellal explained as he began to set up an odd looking chess board. Underneath his hood there was a manic grin on his face. "As for our little Guardian Fairy, an interesting nickname by the way, I want to keep him alive so he can be apart of this. His power lack focus, he couldn't even beat José."

**With Rex and Erza**

Erza felt her world rock up and down gently in a rhythmic pattern and thought for a moment she was dreaming about being on a boat. She then heard a vaguely familiar voice speak to above her, but she couldn't remember it until she heard the word sister and it all came back to her. Jerking her head up and opening her eyes, Erza (still in her wine red dress) found that she and Rex were both tied to the mast by Millianna's Binding Magic and began struggling a bit.

"It's no use sister. You can't use Magic no matter how strong you say you are." Shô spoke out quietly and were the situation different they would have embraced each other, but all she could do was look up at him in anxiety.

"Please, Shô. Unite us, and I promise you we won't fight back. I don't feel safe unless I have my armour on." Erza pleaded and Rex slowly opened his eyes a fraction but kept his slumped position and pretended to still be unconscious and not being capable of hearing anything.

"I can't do that sister." Shô denied her and then lowered himself before hugging her in regret. "I don't want to do this to you, but there was no choice." He looked at her angrily, tears streaming down his face. "How could you betray Jellal like that?!" Shô shouted suddenly, holding back his choked voice and making sure to only show anger. Erza didn't say anything and Shô walked up to the main deck without looking at her.

Rex looked up, finally relieved to stretch his neck but the words he spoke were bitter and accusing. "You said this was before Fairy Tail." He almost spat the words out and didn't look at Erza because after hearing about what happened tonight felt shaken and betrayed.

"But Rex..." Erza began.

She was interrupted by him. "That I could understand and be perfectly happy with. What I don't get is how you could simply betray them like that." Rex growled and felt his red eyes glowing.

"Please listen to me. What happened that day was not the result of me deliberately abandoning them!" Erza pleaded and she heard him snort with contempt. "I... I didn't want to leave Shô and the others behind back then. But I lost them and was going to take Jellal with me but he rejected me." She said, keeping it short and simple.

Rex still didn't look at her but his eyes softened slightly. They did remain alert, as if expecting something to happen to them. "Hm, so what forced you to abandon them?" He asked quietly, putting emphasis on abandon. I also struck a chord with him, because as an Aron Aggron had been abandoned by a Trainer and was left with no food or water until Rex found him.

Erza realised that she had felt scared, even more so than her last visit totothe Tower of Heaven. But his response gave her hope, showing that he was willing to listen to her. "The Tower of Heaven was built by slaves. It is also known as the R-System and it is a Taboo Magic Item." She began and then started explaining how she ended up there for the rest of the journey, as well as her escape.

* * *

**And that ends the first chapter to the Tower of Heaven Arc folks! We'll see the flashbacks about her spending time in there in the next chapter but I thought that it would be a good time to stop now.**

**Next Time - Erza and Jellal**

**Despite having listened to her story, Rex still feels frustrated by what happened here. Meanwhile Team Natsu, now accompanied by Juvia Lockser have found there way into the Tower of Heaven, only to run into the guards of a former cult that built the place.**


	18. Erza and Jellal

**Nothing much for me to say here, though I would like to point out to the guest that I can't PM a guest, you have to actually sign up if I want to discuss anything with you. And I decline your offer because of spoilers.**

**Previously on Guardian Fairy - **

**Rex:** Akane Resort, Fiore's most popular destination for fun in the sun! As least it used to be until tonight when we were suddenly attacked by a group of four strangers. A blockhead, a cat like woman, a dark skinned dealer and a big man wearing a turban and a strange metal jaw. This shook Erza to the core as she remembered her old friends before Fairy Tail. Why did she try to bury the past Father? Regardless they attacked Natsu and the others (as well as Juvia) and I managed to lose Braviary in the process. Erza was pretty shaken up by the reappearance of her old friend who she betrayed. Damn... I don't know what to think now.

* * *

**Chapter 18: Erza and Jellal**

**Era**

There was an emergency meeting held at sunrise at Era and every member of the Council attended. There was a report of the remnants of an R-System and withing several minutes of that report being delivered the meeting was announced and a lot of shouting could be heard from within.

"This is impossible!" Org shouted. "You mean to say that there is another R-System?"

Belno nodded grimly, as she was the first to get the report. "This report says that 8 years ago a cult that worshipped Black Magic invested a large sum of money in that wretched place. Even though the other seven had been destroyed by us... it seems that we missed one for whatever reason. It's location is off the coast of Caelum." She explained as calmly as she could but was subdued.

"And don't tell me that the damned thing is completed?" Org asked loudly.

The blonde female hesitated for a moment before carefully wording her answer. "Well unfortunately our Recon Team lack in humor."

"So then it is completed." Ultear guessed and Belno nodded. Org harrumphed.

"But what I don't understand is why now?" Michello asked and closed his eyes in thought, scratching his chin thoughtfully.

"No." Siegrain spoke up with a serious face. Everyone stopped and turned towards him. "It's no longer called the R-System but rather the Tower of Heaven." A few others nodded as they had remembered the other name that the report also included.

Org began to shout. "That's enough Siegrain! I don't care what you call it! The R-System is Taboo Magic, and it takes its toll on the user. It would create chaos!" He was beginning to lose his temper even faster than usual. "We must mobilise the army and suppress this IMMEDIATELY!"

"But we know nothing of our enemy." Michelle pointed out.

"What? But I thought we already knew of our enemy, the cult." Crawford Seam interjected. He was a fat counsellor with a large bushy beard and a hat.

"It also says in the report that the cult have since moved out of the tower and someone else runs the show. All we know of him is that his name is Jellal." Another Council member pointed out, one who glasses and wore a robe. He had long facial hair at the sides, Leiji.

"Jellal?!" Org asked and everyone turned to the robed member.

Siegrain paused and watched the Council members with a look on his face that was either contempt or serious concern depending on how one looked at it. Ultear had a similar look on her face and the two of them continued to look on in silence. Yajima was also silent and turned to face Siegrain with a questioning look on his face.

"But isn't Jellal the name of your twin brother?" Michello asked Siegrain.

Siegrain stared calmly back at them. "Sadly yes. He is."

* * *

**Tower of Heaven, X776**

According to Erza, she had grown up in a place called Rosemary Village until a group of Zeref's followers had decided to burn down the place and make slaves of anyone they had captured. She had been separated from her parents and presumed them dead and was one of the lucky ones taken to the then incomplete Tower of Heaven. There they had to endure gruelling work and harsh conditions, not helped but the fact that their masters kept insulting them and physically punished anyone who even put a toe out of line.

It was during her time there that she had also met her friends. Millianna still looked like a cat, though not as much emphasis on the cat features. Wally had a much smoother face and was the tallest of the group at the time. Simon wasn't that different back then if you took away the metal jaw and turban. Shô had hair that's went straight down and was prone to getting upset more, and he considered Erza to be a sister which explained why he called her that. As for Jellal, he was practically the same back then except much kinder.

"Sister, over here!" Shô cried out and was trying to escape from an incomplete Tower of Heaven, known back then as the R-System.

"Shô! Don't talk so loud!" Wally shouted back at him, but then scared Millianna who was standing next to him. "Sorry Millianna." He apologised quickly.

Simon huddled up next to them and turned to face them. They were all shuddering in fear and he looked at Erza. "Hurry up or we'll be found by those guys!" He said.

Erza walked forwards slowly uncertain. She felt her chains clinking as she was shaking from fear. "Um... If they find us... I, I know what they do to kids who get caught trying to escape."

"It's okay. Don't be afraid." Another person said and he had blue hair. It was Jellal and Erza blushed upon seeing him, unable to speak out. Simon huffed. "We almost have out freedom, out future and our dreams. Let's go Erza." Jellal said, smiling genuinely at them.

"Yeah!" Wally grinned as everyone looked up at him. They continued with their escape plan until they ran into guards. One of them was lean and wore blue attire whilst the other was fatter and wore green attire. They like every other guard in the place wore a mask to cover most of their face.

"Did you really think you could escape that easily?!" The fat one demanded, holding a whip high above him. "Lousy brats!" Everyone in the group was paralysed with fear by the guards and Shô was actually crying. Erza covered her ears and closed her eyes, and Jellal glared at them angrily. "We're on a very strict deadline with the R-System. Any incidents like this would set back development weeks. On principle I should punish all of you."

"However, we're feeling generous enough to only out one of you bastards into the disciplinary chambers. Now tell us, which one of you is the ringleader behind this botched attempt." The blue guard continued. "The rest will get of with a gentle slap to the wrist." Shô was breaking down crying, ignoring what the blue guards was saying because he had been the mastermind of the attempted escape.

"It was me." Jellal said calmly, shocking Erza in particular as she was about to take the fall for him. I planned it all and told them what to do."

The blue guard considered it for a moment and he looked quickly between him and Erza before grinning slyly and looking at her fully. "It was you girl, wasn't it?" He grinned, enjoying his apparent success. "Take her away."

"What! But it was me! I planned it all, not Erza!" Jellal cried out desperately in an attempt to save her.

"Don't worry about me..." Erza said shakily and tried to put on a brave face, ultimately failing. "It's like you said Jellal, it's not scary at all!"

"Erza!" Jellal shouted and charged forwards. But the guards held him back and Millianna began to cry as she couldn't do a thing.

The blue guard turned back to the group with a malicious grin on his face. "As for you, none of you will be eating for the next three days. It's better than spending time in the disciplinary chamber. Hahaha!"

She was tortured in the chamber for a while until Jellal came to save her. "Erza! Erza!" He called out and ran quickly down a rocky path until he came across a cell with her limp body in it. "Get up! Please!" He demanded and began shaking her gently, until she jerked suddenly and he jumped backwards. "DAMN THEM! Why would they do such a terrible thing?!"

Erza groaned quietly as she tried to look at the person in her cell. "Jellal... Is that you..?" She managed to say and he relaxed.

Tears began leaking from his eyes as relief washed over him. "Erza, you're still alive! It's okay, I'm here to save you." He said, what Jellal didn't say was that he viciously attacked the guards on his way to her cell and even stabbed a few of them. "Don't worry, we'll be fine." He assured her. "We can fight."

The rescue was abruptly cut by a furious guard who began whipping him viciously. "This is the brat! You killed three of my men! Bah, he's just a runt! We'll make an example of you!" He shouted between each whip. Hello didn't see it coming and felt all the pain at once.

Erza didn't say a word as she staggered back to a shared cell that housed her friends and another person who she formed a close bond with her. He was Rob, an elderly Mage of Fairy Tail and had a long beard and a short white moustache. During her time in the chamber she had also lost her right eye.

"Sister!" Shô gasped, and was wide eyed at the injuries she had sustained.

"You're okay..." Wally began.

Simon glared at him furiously. "Idiot, how can you say that she's okay!" He shouted and Wally gulped.

"What about Jellal?" Millianna asked.

Rob took charge of the situation. "Let her sit quietly." He asked quietly, and despite being a slave had a commanding presence that made everyone pay attention to what he had to say. "Poor thing, she must have suffered a lot in the disciplinary chamber. As for your friend, I bet they caught him and took him in her place." He answered Millianna bitterly and shook his head, and this greatly upset Shô.

Two guards suddenly banged on the cell door. "What's with the racket in here?!" They saw and heard that Shô was crying and began to really get annoyed by the sounds. "Shut up you insolent brat! Or I will not hesitate to cut your own tongue!" He threatened.

Things were looking that way as Millianna clung to Wally who was trying his best to calm down Shô. Simon was next to Rob who looked on in despair knowing that I would be useless. But Erza wasn't listening to them and she began shaking as she remembered talking to Jellal in the chamber and remembered about having to fight.

"GRAAAAAAAAHHH!" Erza shouted, silencing everyone as she suddenly grabbed one of their poles and then swung them around battered them unconscious. Another guard appeared to stop her but she threw him upwards with the pole and he landed unconscious, just like the other two.

The people in both cells aside was startled and jumped when they heard her snap. "What's going on in that cell?" "Over there. It's a revolt!"

Erza looked at her cellmates, sweating slightly as she held the pole in her hand and the bandage that covered her right eye suddenly became clearer. "We won't get our freedom by obeying them or running away. We have to stand up and fight for it!" She stated to her shocked friends. Rob, Shô, Wally, Simon, Millianna, and the others in her cell as well. Meanwhile, a bloodied Jellal began huffing and muttering to himself.

The revolt proved to be an initial success and everyone began taking up a weapon and attacking the guards, with Erza also acquiring a shield and the guards were being overpowered by groups of two of three. Their sudden surprise and newfound strength caught many of them off guard.

"A bunch of slaves think they can take advantage of us?! Kill any and all rebels!"

"Don't be afraid of them, we'll take our freedom back!" The large group on both sides said before charging into each other and descending into a typical melee seen when two armies meet each other.

Jellal was whipped three more times by the green guard who had thwarted their escape plan earlier and the blue guard who was standing there but unlike Erza.

The green guard was annoyed. "This guy, doesn't even make a sound or anything when he is whipped. Remember that girl we captured a few days ago? Heh, she screamed and screamed for days on end. That was a fun piece of work!" He grinned and they both began laughing gleefully. Then the fat guard then turned to face Jellal and a serious look was over his face.

"Hey runt, do you have an idea of how great it would be if you helped finished the R-System?" He asked, lifting Jellal's face and holding it like he was a toy. "On the day of completing it you will be the first to see paradise. To meet our dark God. How does that sound?"

"Shut up." Jellal panted quietly.

The green guard stopped for a moment before getting angry at his comment but his blue companion laid a hand on his shoulder. "Cool it. All these brats do is talk. We got to focus on this revolt that needs quashing." He said before turning to leave, and the green guard made his mind up to never let Jellal out.

"God? Huh, there is no such thing. I don't need a God that can't even save a child... even if he is real. I hate them all, I hate their false God and their entire world." Jellal thought then spoke out loud and suddenly a voice spoke out of nowhere.

Hate strengthens me. A cold voice said and a red mist began filling the room, and it startled Jellal who looked around. Arrogant peons, I've been waiting this whole time.

"WHO'S THERE!" Jellal shouted. "COME OUT!"

_And yet... They want to 'revive' me, give me a bodily form._ The voice from the mist carried on and it began swirling closer to Jellal. _No matter how much faith you have it's futile._ _Unless you have a strong hatred you cannot see me and you're a very lucky child. Getting to meet a God worshipped by many._ The most formed a giant blue globular creature with red lines swirling on his body and all over.

The revolt raged on as seven areas were freed but both sides were getting worn down and things were taking a turn for the worse and they were starting to fight back. "We have to keep going and save Jellal!" Erza insisted.

Simon walked over to her. "Erza... There is something I want you to know." He began despite some protest from Wally but then a Magical blast shot towards him and took off his lower jaw. Everyone stood there in shock as the Mages had arrived and began blasting everyone in sight. From that point on the revolt had swung back in favour of the guards.

"No! Don't give up now, we have to save Jellal. WE HAVE TO FIGHT OR DIE!" She shouted and a group of Mages fired at her. Erza didn't move but then Rob appeared and let out a swirl of fire. But the blasts kept coming and hit his frail body. "Rob-san!" Erza cried out in shock as he fell on the floor.

Rob smiled. "A... A useless geezer like me was good for something after all. Even though I gave up Magic a long time ago, you have unlimited potential Erza." He said as Erza remembered something he had told her about Magic.

_Everything begins from you believing with your heart. You can think of tarots, faith, prayer and such as Magic. It's a miracle that only true believers can experience. Only those who believe that Magic exists, believe in themselves, and believe that they can coexist with everything in nature can use such a thing as Magic._

"I never thought... I could see a smile like that again on your face, Erza. Freedom is in your... heart..." Was the last thing he said before dying peacefully at mind, showing his Fairy Tail Guild Mark on his back.

"Rob... ROB!" Erza cried out, and she kneeled beside Rob. Then she suddenly released a surge of Magic that silenced everyone watching, and they began wondering what happened. Even her friends were stunned by this and they saw the weapons surrounding her clattering as they began rising seemingly of her free will. Then they all began turning towards the guards.

"The weapons are floating... towards us!" One of the guards realised and it was too late. Using Telekinesis, she made the swords attack the guards and fire at them then they turned round and attacked from behind. Erza kept subconsciously attacking the guards over and over and eventually made it rain all over the guards and Mages, finishing them.

Erza began panting from using Magic for the first time and a lot of it. "Sister, defeated them all in an instant!" Shô said, finally being happy since he was forced into building the R-System.

"Come with me!" Erza declared and saw the two from earlier standing nervously in her way.

"Please wait, we know we wrong you before but we were only doing it on orders of someone higher up. Can we make peace?" The green guard asked hopefully.

"Our of the way." Then Erza dashed forwards and easily defeated the guards, stopping when she saw Jellal, still tied up and not moving. "Jellal!" She smiled and quickly cut him free. "Simon is hurt badly, and Rob-san sacrificed himself, but we're free."

Jellal didn't say anything as he slowly got up and then proceeded to buy Erza. She fell silent then realised something was wrong when he uttered the next words. "We don't have to run anymore. True freedom lies right here." Jellal stated before smiling maliciously.

Elsewhere her friends were busy on ship preparing to leave when Wally along with Millianna found a bunch of Magic Movie Crystals and was startled when he accidentally activated one for a Wild West. It scared Millianna, though Wally took a shine to the movie.

Shô sighed as he looked out at the R-System, concerned for Erza. "Sister is taking a long time." He sighed.

Erza managed to break free and took a step back from him. "Erza..." Jellal carried on. "Freedom does not exist in this world. I've finally realised that what we need is not fleeting freedom." Erza was stunned by this change and then saw the madness in Jellal as he faced her. "True freedom lies in Zeref's world."

Jellal didn't say a word as he looked at the guards. "I'm beginning to appreciate why they want to revive Zeref. But they are only a bunch of pitiful believers, and this tower now belongs to me. Therefore, you aren't needed." He concluded, and continued grinning as he massacred the guards one by one and started laughing.

"Wait, stop it Jellal!"

"Stop? I thought you hated them..." Jellal noted as he looked at her with calm eyes.

"I do but..." Erza began and trailed off.

"That won't do." Jellal replied curtly. "You cannot feel his presence with those feelings." Then he saw a guard running and killed him too. "Ahahahaha! Don't you see Erza, I'm fine. Let's finish the R-System, no the Tower of Heaven together!"

Erza firmly refused and shook her head. "That's nonsense! We're leaving the island right now!"

This made something click within Jellal who then blasted her with Magic over a pile of rubble. "Fine, leave by yourself. The others will all be mine since I need sufficient power to complete the Tower of Heaven. Oh don't worry I won't be like those guards. I'll be taking care of them properly, after all happy workers are far more productive than workers who fear them."

"What are you going on about? Everyone is already on the ship waiting for us, and they wouldn't dare to set foot on this island every again!" Erza pointed out.

"Oh? Those fools never told them why they were making them work so hard though. But I will tell them that this Tower will achieve the revival of the great Mage Zeref." Jellal looked at Erza and motioned his hands and two globular tendrils with red markings on there to send towards Erza and started to choke her. She struggled to get free but then Jellal dropped her. "I don't need you any more. However I will let you go and you should be thankful of that. Take your insignificant "freedom", and you should understand that if the Council get wind of this then you will no longer have a chance. I will also have to destroy this place and if I see you here then I will not hesitate to kill everyone here." Jellal began laughing insanely.

Soon, Erza found herself washed up on a beach, and could only hear the waves breaking behind her. She stared at moonlight and then began remembering what happened at the Tower of Heaven. Erza slowly began to get on to all fours and starting an attempt to walk but only made it a few steps before stumbling and falling forwards. Then she got up again and stood on her knees, panting heavily and then yelled in the air. After washing up on the shores of Fiore, Erza made her way to the Fairy Tail Guild and soon afterwards thanks to the skill and expertise of Porlyuscia her right eye was replaced by an artificial one.

* * *

**Present Day**

Rex kept quiet throughout the story, never interrupting once and waited until Erza had finished. "I see." Was all that he had said. "So it wasn't your fault that it had to be kept secret. If someone else knew then he would somehow know." He deduced slowly and hope sprang up in her heart that he would understand her. But it stopped when she realised that he had fallen silent again.

Erza didn't know what to say to that. She had never felt as hopeless as she had when she was working in the Tower of Heaven, and didn't know which time was worse, then or now. It had seemed that Rex was furious because of the fact that she had done everything to keep it a secret, and despite the fact that it had softened - Erza saw that Rex would forgive her but not forget it. _And to think we were sharing strawberry cheesecake ice cream together. _She thought sadly.

Shô came back down and ignored Erza, this time focusing on Rex and he looked up at their new dealer with contempt. "Jellal has been keeping an eye on you for a while Rex Vermend and had taken interest in your abilities." He told him. "But I wanna talk about something personal. Erza has always been a sister to me, even in those days. She'll come round and then you can do nothing about it." He explained solemnly.

Rex gave a derisive snort. "Ha! That's if you get to Jellal before me, and by that I mean I'll kick his ass. All I wanted was several days to relax from all the action. Then you turn up, and if you had not been working for Jellal I would have easily kicked all your asses as well. Don't cross me." He warned and smirked as he saw the angry look grow on Shô's face.

"Shut up! You don't a single thing about my sister!" Shô shouted before smacking Rex across the face and there was a loud cracking noise that echoed in the deck. Erza felt it and tried to turn round but the ropes that bound her only allowed to do a forty five degree turn to the left and saw his turned head along with a smile on his face.

"I appear to know a hell of a lot more than you do." Rex replied calmly, keeping himself from retaliating as he felt the sting of Shô's hand spread across his face. Shô looked as if he would smack him again but decided against it as he walked silently back up to the upper deck, fuming silently.

"Why did you do that?" Erza asked when she was certain that they couldn't be overheard. Hearing the conviction in Shô's voice was a reminder of just how much her friends had changed over the years.

"Why?" Rex replied, grimly amused. "Because it made him unfocused, and an unfocused, distracted enemy is easier to defeat than a calm, collected one." He replied with a hint of dark joy in his voice that made Erza shiver.

They eventually ended up at the Tower of Heaven and were escorted by the small group. Rex thought how fitting that the Tower of Heaven looked as twisted as its owner Jellal and they ended up in separate cells. Erza felt uncomfortable and painfully recalled a memory. When Shô and Simon came in though she was brought back to reality and looked at them wearily. "It really has change in eight years... it's complete." Erza commented fearfully.

Rex didn't pay any attention to it at first. He was concentrating on that faint feeling inside his head and knew that only meant one thing. A nearby Plate but he wasn't sure of the type yet, as the feeling it gave off could be one of two Types. However the structure of the Tower of Heaven made the signal bounce and emit static like a analogue frequency, meaning it would have to be found by searching every room in this place. The sooner the better.

When they were in their separate cells Shô said, "Don't you remember this place sister? This is where we were once held together, and where we nearly escaped. It feels like ages ago but since then a lot has changed." Shô put on a smile to hid the sadness from Erza. "Sister... you have been chosen to die and become the sacrifice to help us enter the world of Heaven. You should feel honoured."

Erza shook her head slightly. "Don't you know of the consequences of using the R-System?" She questioned.

Shô gave a look of mild surprise. "I'm surprised you know about what it can do."

Erza looked at him in disgust. "The R-System can revive a single person but it requires numerous sacrifices." Rex could hear the conversation and then looked at them in shock.

Shô shook his head. "That doesn't matter. All Magic corrodes the soul and we're trying to create a Heaven where we rule." He declared adamantly which became gloating. "When we become the rulers of this new heaven, everyone will revere us and Zeref. Thanks to Jellal we have been enlightened and when the R-System works no one can stop us!" His voice rose louder and louder, and there was a twisted grin on his face.

Rex was listening in with amusement at Shô's statement since the Tower of Heaven was quiet. "Magic corrodes the soul, eh? Judging by the way you use it Shô, clearly it has already corroded you. That will bar you from Heaven and earn you a one way ticket to Hell." He said in a raised voice.

Shô then bolted into the next cell. "Enough! You should watch your tongue otherwise you'll end up being the sacrifice instead!" He shouted at Rex and raised a card threateningly. This made Erza freeze in horror.

Simon diffused the situation. "Calm down Shô. Jellal's orders specifically said to not kill Rex, can't you see that he is goading you along? Ignore him and focus." Simon pointed out and Rex looked at the tall muscular man with curiosity and wondered if he was really working for Jellal. Shô looked like he was about to argue but dropped it - not before shooting Rex a dirty look and they both exited his cell.

Rex waited until they were going out of his cell and used Strength to break free from his chains. Then he ran up and knocked the two Mages aside with Quick Attack before using Meteor Mash twice to break down the door to the cell keeping Erza and then freed her from the chains by using Psycho Cut as a projectile. Not forgetting Shô, who had been left by Simon and would come back with back up, Rex then jumped and attacked him with a Karate Chop to the head. This knocked him out.

_My next mission: Take out Jellal, and find the Plate that resides somewhere within the Tower! _Rex thought. He began running down a corridor, followed by Erza.

_I have to face Jellal... and somehow my fate. _Erza thought grimly, knowing that her sacrifice to revive Jellal would break more than one heart. Not only her old friends but also Rex, Natsu and the others. Before escaping she looked at Shô and remembered what things were like back then and how much he had changed, this made her resolve to face Jellal stronger.

* * *

**With Natsu**

The four mages and Pokémon had found a boat and using a combination of both Natsu's senses and Braviary's superior vision they began heading in the direction of the Tower of Heaven. Unfortunately the predictable problem with Natsu showed no signs of letting up and his motion sickness kicked in despite the calm waters. "Where the hell are we?" Gray asked tenser than usual.

"It would appear that we have been sailing for a long time." Juvia noted as she couldn't see anything.

"Are you two sure this is the way?" Lucy turned to Natsu and Braviary.

"Y... Yeah. She went... this way." Natsu replied, fighting his motion sickness and he lurched.

Braviary turned to face Lucy. "Absolutely. I think we're nearly there, squawk!" He replied before turning back out and Gray grunted in annoyance and shot Natsu a glare.

Juvia didn't know Erza very well and maintained a constant frown on her face. "I know that I don't want to dash my Gray's hopes." She murmured.

Gray was getting impatient. "Damnit! How could they just come in and swipe Erza, Rex, and Happy like that! We're pathetic!" He burst out.

Juvia backed away an inch and then said something she quickly regretted. "Yes, an accurate statement. I can't believe they got Miss Erza and the Guardian Fairy..." She began but then Gray and Braviary glared at her. It was the Valiant Pokémon she was more afraid of, because she interpreted that glare as one to kill.

"Don't you dare say that, you don't know Erza at all!" Gray growled at her and she backed away even further.

"Don't ever say that about Rex, we were ambushed!" Braviary said as he hopped to face her and spread his wings out as if daring her to make another one like that.

"I'm sorry!" Juvia pleaded and she wished as if she would shrink and not be seen.

"Cool it both of you!" Lucy demanded and Gray sat back down, still annoyed at Juvia and Braviary turned his back on her in a huff. Then she looked down in despair as well. "None of us really knew Erza that well either. Rex looked set to become that exception, those two were warming up to each other. And face it, her old friends prove that." She pointed out and Gray relaxed.

Braviary then broke the mood by announcing, "Tower of Heaven coming into view!" Which nearly made Juvia jump into the air. They all looked to see what Braviary saw from miles away and were gaping at the crazy design (except for Natsu of course), including the green orb at the top where crystals erupted from the bottom erratically.

Natsu suddenly felt better again and then promptly got up. "Woah, for some reason this thing feels different." He sniffed the air and gagged a bit though not from the motion sickness.

There was an aura of death and decay around the Tower of Heaven that no one could see but definitely feel. They quickly drew back into the boat as they got closer they could see the water slowly change colour from a sea blue to a sickly green brown colour and began coming across 8 year old wreckage from the boats. "What is this place? It's like..." Lucy began and trailed off as they came across a dead seagull.

"What happened here?" Juvia asked, horrified by the increasing number of dead stuff, be it wood or seagull or even the occasional remains of a body that had decayed and now smelled horrible. She had dropped her Water Dome Spell which was used as a camouflage.

Gray saw something he recognised. "That's the flag for a Fiore Naval Ship!" He pointed out a yellow flag with a pink symbol on it.

"Gah I can't take it anymore!" Natsu whined as the motion sickness took over him again.

"Pull yourself together Natsu we're almost there!" Lucy said frantically.

Braviary looked around and was disgusted. "A massacre judging by the look of it. Those 'gulls were unlucky enough to get close to the Tower and choked to death on something. Guess I'm lucky because I'm not from around here and I'm more robust than most birds." He suggested. They eventually found a place to dock and sheltered by a few dead trees as they worked out their next plan and let Natsu recover from his motion sickness.

"How do we get in?" Lucy asked. "Past this tree I think I saw guards and their guard dog creatures."

Juvia answered that one. "I found an underwater passage. I can surround your heads with a small sphere of water that traps the air for you to breath." She suggested. "However it will only last for ten minutes."

"Who is she Lucy?" Natsu asked her, having not heard much except for when Lucy talked to him.

"She happens to be the one who kidnapped me!" Lucy added exasperated, and Juvia seemed hurt by that. "But now she's helping us." She added quickly upon seeing Natsu light up in anger.

They all walked over towards the water, almost everyone. Braviary got as far as five metres from the shoreline before stopping and not going any further. "Come on!" Natsu said and began dragging him against his will. Then he dumped him into the water and Braviary thrashed violently. Once back in the air he angrily flew above Natsu and jabbed his beak sharply several times on his head.

"What was that for?" Natsu protested and began walking towards Braviary who had anchored himself firmly to the ground.

"Don't come any closer Natsu or I'll start to carry you up by my claws!" Braviary threatened and Natsu turned green again from the thought of motion.

_I can't believe this! _Lucy groaned inwardly and went over to them. "Why can't you go in the water?" She asked.

Braviary shook his head. "It's not that. Since I nearly drowned as a Rufflet before I met Rex I have a fear of going underwater and will not do so no matter what." He explained lamely and felt downtrodden. "So I'll bust my way in and join you."

Lucy sighed, and realised that it was no use and then walked with Natsu back to Juvia and Gray, the latter had a strange orb of water on his head. Natsu then had the same done to him and Juvia snickered as she did Lucy. The Celestial Spirit Mage didn't say anything and they began swimming down said passage until they made it inside and surfaced. Lucy quickly climbed out of the water and the Water Bubble burst, showering her face in water and began taking deep breaths to help her calm down.

"I can't believe that you made it on that Water Bubble, I made it smaller for you because we are fighting for Gray." Juvia snickered then glared at Lucy.

"We don't have a thing going on." Lucy groaned and looked annoyed at that statement. She turned and saw that Natsu and Gray had both made it and quickly looked up. That was the only underwater passage and they could see a door that lead to the tower, and it was through said door that a number of guards appeared and they each had weapons.

"Who are you?" They demanded and pointed one of them at the group. In response Natsu attacked one of the pillars and part of the platform gave way and they all fell to the floor. "Doesn't matter. Attack them!"

"We're from Fairy Tail!" Natsu shouted and they scattered to break up the guards. "**Fire Dragon's Roar!**" He chanted as his cheek swelled up and then unleashed a steam of fire at all the guards, knocking them all backwards. Then he used Fire Dragon's Iron Fist on another one, then followed it up by pummeling several more guards.

"Too hot!"

Gray dodged a few thrusts and jumped backwards. "**Ice Make: Lance!**" He cried and a icy blue Seal appeared. The guards were then bombarded with a number of lances made from ice and a couple of them were frozen. Avoiding another spear he grabbed it and then hit the guards hard on the head. "**Ice Make: Geyser!**" He chanted as he created a jagged pillar of ice.

"Too cold!"

Juvia didn't bother dodging the weapons as her Water body simply let the weapons sink in and they quickly realised that it didn't work. "Drip, drip, drop. **Water Slicer!**" She declared and then sent a number of scythe like water projectiles at the guards. They were all pushed backwards and then Juvia followed this up by using her Water Cane to whip another group of guards.

"Too wet!"

Lucy didn't like the idea of confronting them and quickly ran away to a higher platform where the guards pursued her and she narrowly avoided being skewered by a thrown spear. She ran towards the wall and quickly saw that she was surrounded and the brought up a golden Celestial key. "**Open - Gate of the Golden Goat: Capricorn!**" Lucy shouted as she drew out a key with the sign for Capricorn on it.

A golden light and bell revealed a tall humanoid goat with short white fur and a pair of slick black glasses. His ears were pointed upwards but the horns came out from the sides and curled once downwards. Capricorn also wore a twin tail butler jacket on top of a long sleeved shirt and a grey tie. "How may I help you Miss Lucy?" He asked politely.

"Get those guards away from me quickly!"

"Very well. Please hold this carefully." Capricorn requested as he took off his twin tailed jacket before running towards the guards approaching Lucy to the left and then threw a single calculated punch. Aside from maybe Crux, Capricorn was quite possibly the smartest Celestial Spirit. The punch knocked the front two over and they bowled the rest of them.

"Thank you, that will be all." Lucy sighed as she closed his gate after giving him back his jacket. Next she drew out the key for Virgo and summoned her.

The Maiden appeared and looked at Lucy expectantly. "Would you like to punish me Princess?" Virgo asked.

Lucy sighed and pointed to the other set of guards running towards her. "No, I think you should be punishing them?" She said, exasperated.

Virgo turned to the guards and they had all stopped in confusion upon seeing the Celestial Spirit. They looked at her, weary after seeing Capricorn defeat the whole group of guards. Using her Earth Magic she sent a barrage of rocks at the guards and they either barrelled into other guards or fell onto the ground where they either faced the idea of being burnt, frozen or splashed.

One of the guards who was lucky enough not to be hit by the rocks was getting close and then the small area of the ceiling above them collapsed and a blue bird came charging down along with the rocks and Braviary crashed down on top of the guard, followed by some of the rubble. Then he flew out low from it and landed next to Lucy. "I'm back, cacaw!" He cheerfully screeched and then saw Lucy. "...Why couldn't you get your clothes wet?" He remarked upon seeing Lucy wearing only a white bra and panties.

"What the hell is that thing?" One of the guards asked another, referring to the Valiant Pokémon.

"Who cares? Let's get it!" The other one said and more charged towards the whole group.

Fire, ice, water and earth was sent at the guards and Braviary took to the skies. He soared high at first and watched as the guards that were targeting him either threw spears or fired bolts of Magic at him. Then a group fell to Natsu's Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame Technique and destroyed a s section of the platform. After using Work Up he dived down and headed straight for the guards with Zen Headbutt. Braviary ploughed through a line in a brilliant blue streak of energy where they were sent into another one of Gray's spells.

Quickly turning round he saw that more guards were approaching and brought his wings together for a Heat Wave, sending a wall of flame at them. Those who weren't knocked out ran frantically around until they were swept away by a wall of water courtesy of Juvia. Seeing how weak one of the structures to the doors were above it he flew up and avoided a barrage of energy blasts and struck the weakest point hard.

The result was that rocks and rubble fell down and blocked the only entrance, seemingly trapping them. But by that time the remaining guards had all been defeated and silence was beginning to fall. "Now what? The only exit is gone!" Lucy cried, and she didn't like the idea of being stuck down here or going into the water again.

There was a rumbling sound and the place began to shake as a red and gold statue of something began to open its mouth and the eyes were glowing red. A long red and golden tongue shot out and buried itself in the ground near the group. None of them said a thing as they walked up it, right into a laid out table with lots of food on it. Natsu, Gray and Braviary all began digging in and eating noisily.

"Can't you three eat any quieter?!" Lucy shouted and they all turned to face her. Braviary had managed to get his beak stuck in an apple and then freed himself, nearly knocking Natsu who was currently eating some meat.

"When I'm finished here that blockhead will wish he was never born!" Natsu roared, ignoring her question.

"Besides, after the noise we made fighting off those guards I expect the master of this place to know that we're here anyway Lucy." Gray pointed out, turning his head towards her as he was also eating from the table.

"Whoever invited us in had used Magic to do so." Juvia added as she sat next to Gray and began eating too, much less quiet than the others. "It would appear that we have been detected a while ago and whoever invited us is also doing so to taunt us."

* * *

**Era**

Despite wanting to take action against Siegrain's twin brother Jellal, there was no agreement on the exact course of action that should be taken.

"We must stop Jellal at once!" Leiji advised.

"We have to gather information and intel!" Michello added

"Send in the military at once!" Belno argued.

The Magic Council, save for three members began to argue amongst themselves and Siegrain was growing tired of this, so he put an end to it.

"You weak fools! None of those actions are right!" Siegrain said with a voice of authority. Everyone stopped to face him, including an angry Org.

"Siegrain!" Org growled.

"You would dare mock us?" Leiji asked, remaining calm but focusing angrily on him.

Siegrain ignored the outburst of cries as he was ready to take a not so subtle route. "Wouldn't it be classified as murder to send hundreds of innocent people to their death without even knowing anything about our enemy? Only fools would commit to such an action when the odds are against us!"

Org calmed down as he saw sense in those words. "Then what do you propose we should do?"

Siegrain crossed his arms as he took a moment to compose himself. "If this situation is mishandled the consequences would be beyond anyone's imagination. Therefore I have come to the conclusion that the only possible way to stop Jellal and the Tower of Heaven is by using the only force capable of doing so - Etherion." He concluded rather dramatically.

The Council were stunned, shocked and terrified. "Have you lost your mind Siegrain!" Org shouted.

"Do you have any idea what the consequences of using Etherion is?" Leiji asked.

Siegrain held his hand up in silence, knowing of a way to convince the Council. "Please hear me out for a minute. We can use the satellite to pinpoint the Tower of Heaven and fire Etherion from directly above it. Doing so will allow us to reduce any collateral damage." He reasoned, however to almost everyone else it wasn't good enough.

Soon afterwards Ultear went along with Siegrain's suggestion and raised a hand. "I vote in favour of firing Etherion." She announced, to the surprise of everyone else. That made it two votes, three more to fire.

Org was shocked. "You can't be serious Ultear. You too?" He demanded.

Siegrain nodded. "Thank you Ultear. That makes two votes in favour of firing Etherion. I implore you to consider quickly, we cannot waste any time in stopping Jellal! If the Tower of Heaven was activated the consequences would be catastrophic, and the fallout unimaginable. We must stop him now!" He continued pressing for more votes.

Org was still stubborn. "But if you fire Etherion and destroy the Tower of Heaven... won't you kill your brother?" He pointed out.

Siegrain nodded and spoke in quieter voice filled with regret. "I understand that. He and I have gone down different paths, and Jellal has unfortunately chosen one of darkness. He is committed to using the R-System and there is no justice for what he's done. I... I can live with that sacrifice because it's for the greater good." He concluded with exaggerated patience.

After a while there was a trembling hand that rose from Leiji, one of the Council Members in the earlier argument. "I... I also vote to fire Etherion." He announced in a scared voice.

"Have you gone insane Leiji?" Org demanded. Siegrain nodded at Leiji as if he had made the right decision and turned to face the others wordlessly.

* * *

**With Happy**

The blue cat finally woke from his sleep and opened his eyes slowly and then gasped. Everywhere around him there was _cat themed _furniture all over the place. Cat sofas, cat ornaments, cat plushes cat everything. "What is this place?" He gasped and was looking around in shock. This didn't make him any more comfortable though. "I'm surrounded by cats! How did I end up here anyway?"

Millianna then entered the room and was gazing at Happy with adoration in her eyes. "Meow."

Happy freaked out. "A psycho cat girl!"

Millianna came closer, though she was ignoring him. "And how is the kitty witty feeling?"

Happy rubbed his eyes. "Well I am feeling a little better..." He began.

She then swept him off his feet into her arms, happier than ever. "Oh my God he can talk! This is best kitty ever!" Millianna cried as she spin around, still holding on to Happy.

A deeper smoother voice sounded from the other side of the room. "Careful Milli, if you do that too much you'll end up hurting him. Let that little guy relax okay toots?" Wally stood at the door and was coolly looking into the room.

Happy heard someone he recognised and broke free of Millianna's grip, falling into the floor. "It's you!" He yelled accusingly. "Where's Natsu?" He demanded.

Wally smirked. "Well that ain't dandy at all. As for your pink haired friend... well he was a poser so he's having a nice long nap." He answered then turned to Millianna. "You know what's dandier than a feline that talks? A talking feline!"

Millianna nodded vigorously. "But those things are one and the same! It doesn't matter anyway because I am leaving!" Happy declared but stopped when Wally cocked a gun at him.

Millianna instantly shielded Happy from him. "Don't hurt the little kitty!" She hissed.

Their argument was broken up when Simon suddenly appeared from a portal of black mist. "Wally, Millianna! We have to move quickly! Both Erza and Rex have escaped from their cell, if we go after them now we should be able to catch up with them." He reported.

"That's Erzy-worzy for you!" Millianna smiled. "That brings back memories of when we tried to escape!" She meowed.

Wally was riled up at how the other person managed to escape. "That ain't dandy in the slightest! When I find that poser Rex I'll blast him to bits!" Simon remained quiet and they ran out once Mad Dog Wally had calmed down.

* * *

**With Rex and Erza**

Elsewhere in the Tower Rex and Erza were going after the guards in an attempt to find Jellal and quickly knocked out a group. Rex then picked one up and used Wake Up Slap on him to regain consciousness. "Tell me where I can find Jellal!" He demanded.

The guard fainted.

Erza wasn't having success either and held a guard at sword point. "Tell me where Jellal is." She ordered in a calm tone and the guard looked into her eyes and saw her fury. But that seemed to pale in comparison to Rex who Thunder Punched a guard that tried to attack him and then turned to face a furless beast that resembled... nothing he could put his mind too. It growled and began running towards him and the Tower of Heaven shook suddenly as an Earthquake rocked it. The beast then fell off the Tower and Rex didn't flinch as he saw it impale on one of the spikes.

"I don't know that, honestly!" The guard whimpered as he began praying that he would only be incapacitated by them, having heard the beast fall to his death. Erza then swiftly knocked out the guard and they unanimously agreed to go back into the Tower through a door.

* * *

**Elsewhere**

Back at the top of the Tower of Heaven, both Jellal and the mysterious man were watching the giant crystal Lacrima in the middle of the room which allowed the people present to see what was going on. There were a number of symbols around the spherical walls and there was one recurring symbol in particular - an eye that had two extensions and resembled a Z when viewed at the right angle.

"Master!" The man cried out in shock as he saw the footage of Rex and Erza escaping. He was startled to see the Guardian escape so easily and with such little effort. "Is it wise to keep them running around. Especially considering that his abilities are vastly unknown." Despite his shock he waited patiently for a response and his Master raised his hood a fraction.

"Oh yea of little faith." Jellal replied and he began tapping the left arm of the chair with his left index finger. "There is no need to worry Vidaldus. Rex certainly has talent, but he has not seen what I have seen and there is another reason I'm letting them run around for a bit." He then pointed towards a section of the wall opposite the throne he currently sat on and two more heads turned in that direction.

It had been recently modified last month to accommodate some changes and what was once just symbols now stood some strange holding device that seemed to fuse directly with the Tower of Heaven. Inside it was a black coffin shaped object and Vivaldus as well as the two others took a step backwards because of the aura that it gave off. "That Plate... has unbelievable amount of power. The Ethernano Converter I created will help to drain away all of the power within and feed the Tower." Jellal explained.

Then he seemed to realise that something else had happened and gave another smirk. "The Magic Council have decided to vote on the use of Etherion because of my twin Siegrain and they have already had 3 votes in favour. This, coupled with the members of Fairy Tail and the Guardian Fairy all being in the Tower is very interesting. Maybe it's time for me to implement Heaven's game." He mused out loud, grinning all the time.

* * *

**Back with Natsu and co**

When the four of them had finished their meal they turned to face Lucy who was now in a green dress and struck a pose in an attempt to appear cute. "What's with the get up, squawk?" Braviary asked, and Lucy groaned as she realised that it had failed.

"These are clothes from the Celestial Spirit World. I brought what was currently in fashion." Virgo explained before turning to Lucy. "Would you like to punish me now, Princess?" She asked, eliciting a confused looked on Braviary's face and an enraged one from Juvia who began thinking about how she was competing with a princess for Gray.

Lucy shook her head and sweatdropped. "That won't be necessary. Thanks you for your help Virgo."

"That looks pretty cute." Gray remarked, and Juvia was horrified.

"He liiiiiikes you." Virgo teased, just like Happy.

"Why did you change anyway?" Gray asked.

"Because I don't want to hang around in a wet bikini, hence me calling Virgo." Lucy explained, exasperated by her behaviour as she disappeared in a golden light. She noticed Juvia sending death glares at her and she couldn't meet the rain woman's look.

"You don't need to change, we can just dry off." Gray countered. He was standing next to a flaming Natsu and using him as a human drying machine. Lucy didn't need to say anything about how weird it was.

Then more guards appeared and they all began brandishing weapons at the group and they all took up a fighting stance. Even Lucy was prepared to summon one of her Celestial Spirits but this was not necessary. The guards were then suddenly shocked by 100,000 volts of electricity and feel to the floor with sparks running along their bodies and behind them stood the undeniable form of Rex Vermend in the Zap Plate and Erza Scarlet.

"You're all here?!" Erza cried out in shock.

"'Course we are Erza, we'd never-"

"Leave now!" Erza demanded uncharacteristically and they all looked at her as if she dropped a bombshell. Even Rex was shocked at what was said despite of the fact that because of him they were freed from their prison cell. "You all shouldn't be here!"

"Not a chance Erza! They catnapped Happy and I ain't gonna let that slide!" Natsu shouted in defiance.

"They got Happy as well?" Erza gasped, having seen no sign of the blue cat since Akane Resort before their vacation was rudely interrupted. "Then I'll get him alone and..." She was about to carry on when Natsu ran past her shouting about a blockhead and assumed that he meant Wally.

Rex groaned and facepalmed. "Flaming idiot. I'm going after him to make sure nothing happens." He announced casually and before Erza could object to it dashed off in pursuit with Quick Attack.

Erza growled in frustration as it was one more problem after another and she quickly turned back to Braviary and the three remaining Mages. "I'll go after them, but you cannot stay here because it is too dangerous!" She insisted and the others looked on incredulously. Even Juvia who barely knew Erza was surprised at how she didn't want any help at all and like Lucy and Gray didn't move.

"Why not?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, we're your teammates Erza!" Gray argued.

"This is different, I can't have any of you here with him in this place!" Erza argued, turning away from them and Braviary had just about enough of this.

"Shut up!" Braviary screeched suddenly and everyone jumped at how piercing it was. "Like it or not Erza, we are all involved the moment they took Happy and Rex along with you. In case you didn't know you are a part of the team and you can't do everything on your own." He began and then choked up a bit. Lucy, Gray and Juvia were all surprised to see him tearing up in anger. "I know! Because I was like that at one point, always relying on my strength and my strength alone. But it took the others to convince me that trying to do everything alone was not a good thing Erza. Try imagining a team as a machine with each member being a separate part. It is because of those parts working together that the machine works and without even a single part it won't. You can't just abandon us now because you need us as much as we need you. You also need Rex. If he was here right now..." Braviary choked up again and brushed away his tears using his wing.

After a moments silence, Erza turned to face them and they all gasped in shock as they saw her crying. Tears were streaming down on of her eyes and she relaxed more before looking at them in a way none had ever seen before. Someone who was vulnerable. "I... guess you have a right to know. Why they all know me." She admitted in a subdued manner and began repeating the story that she had told Rex whilst on the ship. There was also another reason Erza was crying. Being around Rex made her feel a lot safer and allowed her to be more honest and open, and the thought of losing him was unbearable.

* * *

**With Natsu**

Natsu was currently charging up the side of the Tower, fuelled by revenge for blockhead for kidnapping Happy. "You bastard! What kind of a man shoots people in the mouth?" He yelled out loud, not even bothering to keep his voice down. Some guards had foolishly tried to stop him and were lying knocked out on the stairs.

Rex was still a way behind Natsu and then came across some unconscious guards. A sign that Natsu had come here and shook one of them awake, and the guard began spluttering in fear. "Don't worry. I won't hurt you as long as you tell me something. Have you seen a pink spiky haired Mage run up hear demanding for his cat?" Rex asked calmly, though his grip was strong.

"He went that way! Please don't knock me out!" The guard cried out hysterically and pointed upwards.

Rex knocked him out and went up, annoyed with himself. _Of course he would have gone upwards. Where else can you go?_ He thought and facepalmed as he went back into his normal momentum gained with Quick Attack and felt the warmth of the sun hit his face. Rex stopped and looked out to the sea, seeing the blue body of water sparkle in the sunshine. "The sun... is nice and warm. Seeing it reminds me of all the times when I watched it rise back home." He lamented and started walking up.

Further up the Tower Natsu continued running until he entered the room that Happy had previously been in but was no longer there. "Woah! This place is freaky!" Natsu cried out in surprise and began sniffing the place. "Happy was definitely here though as well as blockhead." He began seriously but then saw an ornament that was a green cat head with blue eyes and red stripes on him.

"Cool!" Natsu grinned as he put it on his head and began imitating a cat. "Meow!" And he then posed like a kitten before laughing at himself again. Natsu then grabbed it and attempted to push it off but it stretched without coming off. Natsu tried several more times and it still wouldn't budge. "Get off of me, raaaaahhhh!" He yelled as he let loose a stream of fire the rebounded around the ornament.

Unfortunately for him Wally was standing at the door having searched a different part of the Tower and then his polygon shaped arm morphed into a gun and it was pointed right at Natsu. "Heh heh, live like a poser and die like one." He muttered calmly and took aim.

* * *

**With Erza**

"...and that's why I have to face Jellal alone. All of this was because of me." Erza finished her story and everyone was looking at her, awestruck. Even Braviary was amazed at having heard what happened to Jellal and how he became evil.

"So why would anyone let alone Jellal revive Zeref?" Gray asked curiously.

"...Zeref is the most infamous Black Mage known to everyone. He lived 400 years ago and created an army of demons, also know as the Books of Zeref." Erza explained and that scared Braviary out of his wits. "In fact we already encountered several of them. Lullaby was one of them."

"Hold up, Lullaby?" Lucy gasped, remembering the demon flute they encountered a while back and how Rex defeated it by using Sacred Fire, destroying the Guildmasters Conference Hall with the help of Natsu, Gray and Erza.

Erza nodded. "And I also suspected that Deliora was one of them as well." She added and Gray stiffened at the idea that Zeref was responsible for the death of his parents and teacher. Juvia sensed it and looked at Gray hesitantly, expecting him to lash out. "Jellal believes that if he revives Zeref than he will enter Heaven, and he needs a sacrifice to do so. In this battle, win or lose... I will disappear from this world."

The silence that followed was broken by the entrance of Shô who had overheard what she had said and gasped in horror. "Sister..." He said and everyone was alerted by his presence, though they took note of his surprised expression that was on his face. "That's not true! Jellal told us... he told us that you were responsible for blowing up the ships and preventing us from leaving the Tower." Shô said loudly and was shaking all of a sudden.

"I wanna ask you this question, cacaw. Is that something Erza would really do?" Braviary asked Shô, eyes narrowing slightly and Shô struggled over what Jella told him and what they were trying to tell him.

A black mist then appeared in front of everyone. "I don't." Simon responded as he appeared our of the most and Gray got into a two handed stance.

"Wait!" Juvia cried, standing between them. "He only attacked the dummy."

Simon looked at Juvia. "I would expect nothing less from a former member of the Element Four. Yes, I did only attack the dummy but I did in a way to convince Jellal that you were dead." He added to a suspicious Gray. "I knew all along that what Jellal told me was a lie." For a moment, Erza saw what Simon looked like behind the clothes and if his lower jaw hadn't been blown off.

Shô then turned towards Simon in shock and horror. "You mean... you knew all along? That Jellal... and Sister..." He began but failed to finish the sentence. Simon nodded wordlessly and then Shô let out an anguished cry and fell to his knees torn apart from the conflict. "How can I... face the truth? Let alone you Sister?" He shouted, still not looking up at her.

Erza slowly and quietly walked to Shô before she hugged him in a way that friends would. "If it makes you feel any better Shô... I'm sorry for being weak and not coming back to save you." She whispered, but everyone heard her because of the silence in the room.

Simon then broke it. "I hope the rest of you can forgive me for what I did it, but I did so in order to get her enough Mages to face Jellal. Once Natsu awakens the sleeping dragon within him then he will be able to neutralise evil, and Rex can do so already based on what I've seen. If those two can combine their power regardless of origin anything is possible." He said to the others Mages, mainly because Gray and Juvia were still sceptical of him.

Braviary did a quick head count and then remembered something. "Quick question. Where are your other two buddies? Catwoman and blockhead, squawk?" He pointed out and everyone took a moment to realise that the Valiant Pokémon was referring to both Millianna and Wally.

"We have too get going and inform those two of the situation. If Natsu or Rex runs into them it will get messy." Simon stated as they began climbing a set of stairs that lead up the tower. He put two fingers to his forehead and vented his frustration. "Damnit. Why can't I contact Millianna and Wally with my Telepathy?!"

* * *

**With Natsu**

Despite Wally being there Natsu didn't notice him as the cat ornament stuck on his head prevented him from smelling the polygon shaped man who was currently aiming for the back of him. Then the Dragon Slayer began laughing as he thought of something evil and hilarious.

"I can't wait to see all the tricks I could pull on Happy, Erza and especially Lucy. Ha ha ha ha ha h-achoo!" Natsu sneezed suddenly and realised it may not be such a good thing. "Aaaahhh! I can't reach my face! It's disgusting." He complained and tried to get it off again.

Famous last words ya poser. Wally thought with a grin as a red square appeared on the back of his clothes.

"NOOOOOOO!" Millianna cried and jogged Wally at the right moment. The gun suddenly jolted to the right and a loud bang was heard, with a hole being made to the right of Natsu, scaring him.

"What is wrong with you Milli!" Wally cried out in anger as his hand morphed back into... a hand.

Natsu heard the sound and jumped before turning back to face the pair. "I remember you blockhead!" He growled angrily.

"I won't let you hurt the kitty witty!" Millianna argued and that made Wally furious at how she didn't see through the paper thin disguise.

"You really are a crazy woman, that ain't a kitty over there. He's Salamander, a Fairy Tail member." Wally countered quickly, pointing at him.

Millianna became quiet as she turned to face the 'kitty', and Natsu quickly caught on with the conversation. Instead of breaking the disguise along with his cover, Natsu put both hands up like a cat and meowed. She then clapped her hands and her eyes were sparkling with adoration. "It is a kitty witty!" Was the answer that came out of her mouth.

"What the-? Ya gotta be kidding me Millianna that ain't a cat in the slightest. He's a guy just like me!" Wally persisted. If he wasn't flaming mad before he definitely was now. Wally then promptly ignored Millianna as his body became a mass of cubes that began floating in the air.

Ignoring the fact that he was supposed to be a kitten Natsu began glaring at Wally underneath his helmet. If Rex were here he would have poked fun at Natsu and the Dragon Slayer would never have heard the end of it. "Alright you bastard I have a bone to pick with you after what you did to me back at the casino!" He roared and two fists blazed in agreement.

Wally then began firing the cubic rectangles at Natsu who jumped out of the way to avoid them and they crashed into the sofa before getting out and continuing their pursuit. Natsu then jumped and did a backwards flip as a pair of them sailed though to crash into some of the stuff that belonged to Millianna. Getting a great idea after spotting a large red cat doll he quickly grabbed it and drew it right in front of him. "Neko-Barrier!" Natsu cried.

The blocks then began hitting the cat doll and ripping it to Millianna's dismay. "But a kitty couldn't be an enemy." She reasoned quietly, a lot more uncertain now.

"For the last time Milli that is not a car but a human!" Wally argued as he sent more of his body at Natsu.

The cat doll looked thoroughly ripped and worn out so Natsu ditched it and opted for Plan B: Burn. "Neko-Fire!" Natsu called as he used Fire Dragon's Iron Fist to start destroying the blocks. He then pivoted on the spot and spin around, breaking several more blocks but also inadvertently destroying some of Millianna's cat furniture.

"No kitty would ever harm my stuff!" Millianna hissed. "I hate it when others impersonate a kitten!"

"Look who's talking!" Natsu retorted, and was pointing at her.

Wally was finally glad that Millianna recognised Natsu as an enemy though was still annoyed a bit at her. "Are you gonna stand there or help me put this fella in his place?" He asked.

"**Nekōsoku Tube!**" Millianna chanted as a light orange tube appeared from a pink Seal and wrapped it round one of Natsu's flaming hands, also neutralising his Magic.

"What the heck? What happened to my fire?!" Natsu cried out and tried his best to relight his fist.

He was never gonna get an answer as Wally cast his 32 Frames Per Second spell and then pounded Natsu with a barrage of cubes, and the cat helmet mimicked his surprised expression. By now the Nekōsoku Tube had winded its way around his stomach and Natsu began struggle to break free and then saw the gun that was pointed right at him. "Sorry pal, but you ain't a dandy person in the slightest." Wally smirked as he prepared to fire again.

And for the second time his concentration was broken but this time by a toy cat being brutally smashed against his head by none other than Happy with a half scary expression on his face. "And that's for kidnapping me!" Was his triumphant taunt.

Millianna was once again back to her happy self. "It's the flying kitty-cat!" She fangirled.

Wally had had enough of the cat and began aiming at him. "I'll show ya so ething real dandy!" He declared and began shooting at Happy. The blue cat helped in surprise and flew around the place to avoid getting hit, and Wally destroyed more of Millianna's stuff. Though at this point Wally didn't really care.

"NOOOOOOO! I won't let you bully the kitty-cat!" Millianna cried in horror and tackled Wally once again.

While they were struggling, Happy flew over and tried to untie Natsu with no success. "I can't get them loose!" Happy grunted as he was unable to no matter how hard he tried. It was at this point that Rex was standing quietly and waited to see how this would all play out.

Natsu looked at Millianna. "That means there is one thing left to do. Secret Attack!" Natsu cried dramatically. "Kitty in Distress." He finished anticlimactically and suddenly appeared as a helpless defenceless kitten tied up and starving. Tears were also streaming down the eyes of the cat helmet. Wally and Happy felt their jaws drop, Rex just groaned inwardly and facepalmed. Typical Natsu.

Millianna froze as she stared at the kitten and felt so touched that she released the binding. "I can't believe it worked!" Happy gasped in shock.

"Neither can I." Rex announced sarcastically.

This made Millianna and Wally jump and turn to face him. Bad move. Natsu grinned beneath the helmet and then suddenly charged forwards with the help of his Magic. "**Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!**" Was the move that defeated Wally and Millianna. "Now I've given your payback for kidnapping Happy! And shooting me!" Natsu gloated.

"So how long are you planning on wearing that stupid thing anyway?" Rex asked, looking at the helmet. "Green is not your colour."

Natsu was riled up by that last comment. "Don't look at me! I can't get this off!" He complained.

"We'll do it." Rex and Happy said in unison and they each grabbed an ear and pulled hard. They couldn't get it off at first and Natsu began crying out in pain. "Stop being such a baby." Rex scowled and pulled harder, stretching the helmet further and Natsu didn't make any noise but the tears were streaming from the helmet. They both stopped pulling to take a breath before yanking it hard and fast, which did the trick and was accompanied by a satisfying popping noise.

"Ooh that's much better!" Natsu grinned and Rex smiled as he shook his head.

Then the Guardian remembered something. "Natsu you flaming idiot!" He began scolding him. "Don't you have any idea how stupid that was to go rushing off like that? Especially considering what Erza went through before arriving at Fairy Tail? Count yourself lucky I was here, if you screwed things up here..." Rex began and stopped. "Never mind. Right now we have to find Jellal at the top of the Tower."

"Aye sir!" Happy agreed.

**With Jellal**

After seeing the recent event unfold Jellal let his smile drop into a more neutral face as he mulled things over. "Hmm... This is starting to look troublesome. Simon and Shô have decided to betray me and both Wally and Millianna have fallen to Salamander, watched by our Guardian Fairy as well." He noted and moved a piece shaped like a red dragon to knock over a cat shaped piece and one that looked like a Magic Movie Crystal. Next to the red dragon piece were two others.

The first one was that of a blue fish that Happy could normally be seen chewing. The other one that represented Rex was that of a rounded capsule that was separated by a thick golden line and a button, with the top and bottom half being white, and the button was red.

Vivaldus snorted. "This is what I was warning you about Master Jellal. I knew this was going to happen if you kept those pests running around. You should have brought Erza earlier and completed the ceremony then." He berated Jellal, and the other two looked on with interest.

Jellal then turned to face Vidaldus and the latter fell silent as if expecting punishment and was surprised to see him smile again. "On the contrary Vidaldus, I think it's much more entertaining to watch them scurry and enjoy their so called freedom. But now it's time to play Heaven's Game and for you to go..." At this he put on an evil smirk.

"...Vidaldus Taka." At this, Vidaldus grinned as well and there was a rush of air as he began his Transformation. His skin is now much paler, and he dons dark makeup around his eyes and on his lips. He's bare-chested, with a tattoo reading "Skeleton" visible on his chest, and he dons shoulder pads and arm guards covered in prominent spikes. His pants were replaced by tights held up by a belt with a skull-shaped buckle, and he dons boots paired with greaves decorated by flames-motifs. Vidaldus now looked like an extreme Metal musician.

"Hell! Hell! I'll send them to the ultimate Hell!" Vidaldus declared and stuck his tongue out.

"Fukuro." Fukuro has an extremely bizarre appearance: he has the body of a man, but the head of an owl, as well as a rocket pack strapped to his back. His body is heavily muscular and mostly bare, with his clothing consisting only of a pair of green short tights held up by a belt, whose buckle bears a symbol reminiscent of a waning moon with a triangle pointing left in the empty part, and high sneakers bearing the same symbol. He also dons wristbands, and each of his biceps is adorned by a band which has several long feathers hanging down from it. His shorts have a flame motif on them.

Fukuro turned his head on one side before going. "Hoo hoo hoo!"

"...and Ikaruga." Ikaruga has long, bright pink hair which is tied on top of her head in two large buns. She has a curvaceous figure, peach skin, a beauty mark underneath each eye and sports red lipstick. She wears a long, slightly loose white kimono with a red stripe in between two black stripes around the waist as well as a red triangle at the bottom of her dress. Her kimono was mostly plain save for the mark of her Guild on the robe.

"Life is like a delicate flower, short and sweet. Destined to be cut down." Ikaruga recited poetically.

"All three of you are elite assassins from the Death's Head Caucus Guild. Trinity Raven." Jellal finished, and his smirk didn't waver.

* * *

**There we go, the best place to stop would be right here. Gah, I know I have plenty of time on my hands but I procrastinated on some work and I screwed up badly. Hope you'll forgive me! Were you shocked to see Capricorn?**

**Next Time on Guardian Fairy - Heaven's Game**

**Jellal announces Heavens Game along with several shocking details. The Council are still indecisive about firing Etherion as Siegrain urges them on, holding back some vital information. But what's really going on between Siegrain and Jellal?**


	19. Heaven's Game

**For anyone wanting to know how this will affect the Tenrou Island Arc, I can't say otherwise that would spoil it. Just be prepared for something very shocking. Such a twist! And I'm still sort of annoyed at why there aren't more reviews. I mean, really?**

**Previous on Guardian Fairy:**

**Rex: **Erza has not had it nice at all Father. Her home was destroyed and she was forced into slavery and then during an escape attempt was caught and lost an eye. She escaped but Jellal had changed and she was wrongly accused by her friends of abandoning them and also at the cost of one of her eyes. Still, I'm not happy about it for whatever reason. Meanwhile, the remaining members of Team Natsu, now accompanied by Juvia and Braviary have found their way to the Tower of Heaven. Erza and I escaped and eventually ran into Team Natsu sans Natsu who had run off.

Whilst I pursued him we ran into Wally and Millianna and Natsu managed to get his head stuck in a cat ornament whilst doing so. But that didn't stop him at all - typical Natsu. Mid fight Happy came back and smashed that blockhead with a toy, but Natsu was incatapated by Millianna and unable to use Magic and was nearly defeated but he made Millianna feel sympathetic and release him before defeating them.

**Siegrain: **Meanwhile I convinced the Council to begin voting to use Etherion. Ultear has voted in favour, and Leiji has as well but Org is firmly opposed to the motion. We cannot delay!

**Rex: **How did you get here?

* * *

**Chapter 19 - Heaven's Game**

At the Tower of Heaven Natsu, Happy and Rex were currently in the same room as Wally and Millianna. "Never mind. Right now we have to find Jellal at the top of the Tower." Rex pointed out. The blockhead had had the cat ornament on after being beaten by the trio and had managed to remove it despite his odd physique.

"Aye sir!" Happy agreed.

They all began walking up but only got to another inside part that was mainly red and gold and they heard a gun click behind them. All three of them turned to see Wally, missing his glasses and hat. "I ain't gonna let you posers go any further and stop Jellal!" He declared.

Rex took pity on him and sighed. "Can't you just give up?" He asked. "Look, I don't know what you were told. But I know for a fact that Heaven cannot be reached and that Jellal probably lied to you."

Wally didn't let his arm falter and continued to point at them. "I don't believe that! Once the R-System activates we will all go to Heaven and obtain true freedom."

Rex didn't believe what he was hearing. "True freedom? You just wasted eight years slaving away at the Tower of Heaven working for Jellal, under the assumption that it was all Erza's fault. I want to ask you something. Would Erza really do that?" He challenged and glared hard at him.

Wally fumbled around for an answer but didn't get one as a new voice could be heard, not only by the people there but also by Erza, Shô, Simon and the others. They were currently in a long corridor and the various eyes that were etched into the stone began glowing red. "**Welcome, Fairy Tail, to the Tower of Heaven. My name is Jellal, and I am the current leader of the Tower of Heaven. I've been watching you all for a while now, and I've decided to implement Heaven's Game.**"

"I don't care for your stupid game!" Natsu shouted to Jellal's amusement.

Erza felt a chill running down his spine, as she heard an old voice for the first time in eight years. "Jellal..." She whispered and the others looked around in confusion, trying to find the source of the voice.

"**The rules of this are simple. If the door to Heaven opens, and by that I mean sacrificing Erza, then I win. Unless of course you happen to stop me in which case you win.**"

This in particular shocked everyone by the two people shocked most by this were Shô and Rex. The former was shocked into silence by it and a terse look crossed his face. Rex was more vocal in reacting and shouted, "What? What did you say?"

"Sacrifice Erza?" Wally breathed out in horror.

"**To make things a little more interesting I have three knights that will be there to help me. This will essentially make it an eight on three battle royale.**" Jellal announced as he looked at the remaining pieces on the board. There was a king shaped piece that represented himself. The chess piece on the right was that shaped like a brown owl with a pale face and yellow beak. The middle one as a miniature version of Ikaruga - her head and upper torso specifically. Finally on the right was an electric white and dark blue guitar.

"**There is one more thing though. At this very moment the Council are debating on whether or not to fire Etherion. If they do fire it then it's game over. Nobody wins.**" Jellal finished with a knowing grin.

There was a collective shock from Erza's group at the mention of Etherion. "What? Is he serious about Etherion?" Simon gasped in shock.

"Etherion? The heck is that?" Braviary asked, puzzled. He guessed that it wasn't something good by the general reaction to the mere mention of it.

"Etherion is a last resort weapon that the Council can use. It is extremely powerful and capable of wiping out an entire city." Simon answered, having been told about it before by Jellal. "Before firing there would be two large golden Seals and a golden square in between with four separate Seals. It's a Weapon of Mass Destruction that apparently can transcend space and time itself."

Braviary scoffed. "Transcend space and time? Please, that thing has nothing on Dialga or Palkia. They control it, Etherion is nothing to them!" At Spear Pillar, Palkia suddenly felt better and grinned all of a sudden.

Gray coughed as everyone was staring at Braviary in confusion. "Moving on. The best thing to do would be to split up into several different small groups and..." He began but they were interrupted Shô doing something unbelievable.

After hearing everything Jellal said, Shô realised that everything he was told about how Erza destroyed the boats was a lie and that they had all been mislead. It hurt him most of all, especially after Simon had revealed that he was the only one not fooled. This made him angry and determined and then suddenly there was a flash of light. "I won't let Jellal harm my sister!" Shô cried out.

When the light died down Erza was trapped in one of his cards. "Let me free Shô!" She demanded and began pounding against the boundary of the Card Dimension.

"Shô!" Simon was shocked as well. "Release Erza!"

"What the hell!" Braviary flared up and spread his wings out.

"Jellal lied to me! I'll do whatever it takes to protect sister and I'll be the one to defeat him!" Shô declared angrily and then ran off unexpectedly.

They followed him as much as they could but eventually lost him, being lead to outside and looked around. Braviary circled the Tower once and began gliding ahead of Simon. "I can't see much into any passages. I have really sharp eyesight, not X-Ray vision." He pouted, and shortly afterwards the group agreed to split up into smaller groups of two.

* * *

**With Natsu**

Wally was slumped at the wall once Jellal had finished his announcement and was in shock. Millianna was also surprised by this as well and tears were streaming down from her eyes. "I ain't believing it. Jellal told us... that we would get to Heaven. All we wanted was out own piece of freedom." The polygon shaped man admitted solemnly.

Natsu turned to face him. "I don't know what he promised, but the freedom we have at Fairy Tail is fun. Once this is over you should join us!" He grinned and Rex smiled as well. Wally looked up in surprise at this.

"Screw this game! Let's go straight to the top, at the finish!" Rex suggested, shifting their attention back to Jellal.

"Aye sir!" Happy agreed.

They all flew up with Happy carrying Natsu and Rex next to him with the Sky Plate. Far up ahead there was a glint of light that was brief and Rex thought nothing of it. He began to think something of it when Natsu announced, "Something is coming and fast!" Then they split and felt a rush of air as what appeared to be a strange owl man rushed them before suddenly appearing behind Natsu.

"Ho ho hou! I can't allow any cheating!" Fukuro cried before whacking Natsu inside the Tower of Heaven and out of Happy's grip.

"Natsu!" Happy cried out and then Fukuro whacked him inside as well before turning to face Rex who used Tailwind to avoid his rush and then dived down after sensing something blast towards him and realised that the only way to do so was to go inside.

Inside was a large hollow area with many cages in it and Natsu was thrown into one and then began falling down, but Happy managed to right himself and catch his friend. "When your ready Natsu! This thing is insanely fast!" Rex cried out in annoyance then did several midair cartwheels as Fukuro flew past him at a ridiculously fast speed. He shook his head and saw that the owl man had perched on top of a cage.

"Who is this guy?" Happy asked as they gaped in surprise.

"Have no fear for Fukuro the knight of justice is here! There will be no cheating, justice will be swift. Ho ho hou!" Fukuro declared.

"Dammit! He's one of those players Jellal told us about!" Rex figured out upon hearing that little speech and then he saw someone coming in from the inside door and was surprised to see that it was Simon.

"It's you!" Natsu growled angrily. "Does that mean we have to fight _two _enemies? Fine by me!"

Simon held out his hand to stop Natsu. "You've got it all wrong. I was waiting for Erza to come back." He explained.

Rex paused to look at him. "...Natsu. He's telling the truth." He told the dragon slayer and they both looked at him sceptically.

Simon looked at Rex in shock at how he was able to realise his deception and smiled inwardly at how the Guardian Fairy continued to surprise. Then he looked at Fukuro and his eyes widened in horror. "Don't fight him! I can't believe that Jellal would hire them of all people." He added.

"But who is he?" Rex asked, baffled.

Simon looked at Fukuro grimly and the owl man turned his head on one side. "That is Fukuro, a member of Trinity Raven - an elite squad that serve under the Death's Head Caucus, an assassination Guild."

Fukuro nodded in pride. "Ho ho hou! That is correct, the knight has arrived to deliver justice upon you all!" He declared in a rather flamboyant fashion.

"Don't try and fight him, you'll end up killing yourself! **Dark Moment!**" Simon chanted and cast the same spell that he had done at the casino and suddenly it was darker than the blackest night. Rex didn't bother using Flash again as he knew it failed once before, after getting over the initial.

"What the hell I can't see a thing?" Natsu complained.

"I knew we shouldn't have trusted that guy!" Happy added.

"Ho hou! Don't you know that the light of justice will overpower the darkness? **Judgement Hou!**" Fukuro asked knowingly and was suddenly beside Simon. Then his fist was glowing as he punched Simon right in the stomach and into the wall. The darkness cleared and they all saw Simon falling onto one of the cages.

"You okay pal?" Natsu asked.

Simon let out a small grunt of pain. "Trinity Raven are famous for their work in the Cabria War where along with his teammates he killed every ranked officer under the Western Army's command. Going up against even one of them is a death wish!" He warned. "And the worst part is that there are two other members!"

At the top Jellal moved the owl piece and knocked over a castle shaped piece. "That's a shame Simon. You shouldn't have gone out so early." He tutted and then moved the red dragon piece and the Pokeball shaped piece in place. "Our next match is Salamander and the Guardian Fairy against Fukuro. An interesting match, it would certainly be interesting to face either one of them. But can they make it past Fukuro?"

Fukuro then turned to face the trio on the other cage and then began speaking again, half facing them. "Hoo hoo! Well if it isn't Salamander and the Guardian Fairy. You both have a reputation for doing naughty deeds and getting up to no good, but now that Fukuro is here there is nothing to worry about!" He wagged a finger and that added insult to injury.

This pissed both males off badly. "What right do you have to judge people, seeing as you come from a Dark Guild Fukuro. A Guild like Fairy Tail brings light and hope to the people, they're a symbol of Fiore and I won't have anyone like you going around and spouting that bullshit! A Guild is also a place of dreams and aspirations." Rex scowled and Natsu's fist began blazing in anger.

"But enough of that talking! **Thruster Ho Ho Hou!**" Fukuro cried and a seal appeared beneath each rocket and then it roared into life as he swept Rex off of his feet and began a series of aerial manoeuvres and loop de loops, with one punch that was barely stopped in time.

"He's so fast!" Natsu gasped as he tried to follow by it was too fast for him.

Rex spread out his wings to slow the rocket down and found his footing on a cage and planted them firmly down and swung Fukuro around before launching him with a Force Palm that sent him flying into another cage but the Trinity Raven assassin was undeterred and then used Thruster Ho Ho Hou again.

"**Fire Dragon's Talon!**" Natsu cried as he intercepted Fukuro with a well aimed upwards kick but Fukuro grabbed him and yanked him out of Happy's grip and then began dragging him all over the place except this time by the foot and Natsu let out a yell of horror and realised that he was flying as then felt his face turn green from the speed at which the scenery was going.

"Hoo Hou!" Fukuro cried several times and then threw him fast and Rex, and then both of them landed hard on a cage with Happy following them and the owl man was surprised to see them still conscious. "You're still here? This might actually be a worthwhile job." Fukuro mused as they got up.

"Kicking your ass won't be a problem. **Icicle Crash!**" Rex replied and then sent five identical icicle spears at once. They flew high and came down from above in an arc, and Fukuro crossed his arms out in defense and took them all on without worry. Rex then quickly fire three Ice Balls from his hand with the third one being four times the size of his hand.

Fukuro dodged the first two with ease and then landed quickly and bent over. "**Missile Ho Ho Hou!**" He chanted and two small seals appeared underneath his jacket and the jetpack suddenly thrust itself forwards at the projectile and arms appeared from a concealed pocket and then grabbed it and was carried quickly back to Rex.

He widened his eyes and used Agility before launching himself off the cage and Rex felt the air swish below him. Fukuro was undeterred as the jetpack began tracking Rex and then noticed Natsu charging towards him with a flaming fist, and waited patiently. "**Judgement Hou!**" Fukuro cried as he dodged and fired a small blast of energy but it made Natsu fly upwards into another cage and he accidentally squashed Happy at the same time.

"What the hell man? You can't just ignore me!" Natsu shouted, irritated by the fact that Fukuro was paying more attention towards Rex than him.

"Is no one going to notice how you squashed me?" Happy complained and was seeing fish dancing in front of his eyes. "Dancing fiiiiish." He muttered.

Rex was busy trying to divert it and knew that it would be tracking him until he hit it or it hit something else and began to gain more height, and saw that it was catching up at an alarming rate and looked around the area, only seeing more cages. _Here goes nothing. _Rex thought and he fired an Air Slash at the chains and then used Aerial Ace combined with Steel Wing and managed to deal a blow that sliced through most of the chain. In doing so he also made a grating noise that echoed.

Natsu heard the noise, as did Fukuro. "Well, we know he wasn't hit by the jet. NOW FACE ME!" He demanded of Fukuro and Happy carried him before launching him. "**Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!**" Natsu shouted and the assassin from Trinity Raven dodged it again. Undeterred, after jumping from the bottom of another cage he landed next to Fukuro.

"Your impatience is a part of your reputation Salamander. As a knight of justice I must not allow anyone to pass no matter what underhanded trick they use." He proclaimed in a hypocritical tone and waited patiently. Natsu began throwing fire enhanced punches mixed with the occasional kick and Fukuro blocked each one of them before punching him in the stomach. Afterwards Fukuro then picked him up and flung him hard to the top of the cage and he nearly floored Happy as well.

Rex performed his manoeuvre again but then dived upon hearing the loud screech of the jet with the Ice Ball in town and then flew forwards in an arc with the jet coming closer and closer. Rex suddenly dived down and let gravity help him come down faster before doing a 180 and that the jetpack was still going down before it did a 180 and then charged forwards at the broken chain, making it snapped.

The cage held itself up for a split second before falling down and the jetpack seemed aware of this trick and put on a burst of extra speed that made it miss the cave and Rex began diving down really quickly with the addition of Quick Attack and Natsu, Happy, Simon and Fukuro all saw a white glint of light and a golden one behind it.

Aside from being able to see in the dark, Fukuro had better sight than most normal people and guessed based on his speed and the determination plastered over his face that he was going to try and attack him. "A worthy trick but the light of justice will deny any attempt at trickery!" Fukuro proclaimed and simply stepped to one side as Rex plummeted past him at a really fast rate, and the Guardian Fairy was surprised that it didn't work and pulled up in time to avoid Natsu.

"Watch where you're flying!" Natsu growled in annoyance at him and then only began to realise that the jet was heading for him and it released the Ice Ball, throwing it at an incredible speed. He only had enough time to raise a fist before the fairly large projectile made contact and exploded, shattering into a million pieces on top of him.

"Oh Arceus! Sorry Natsu!" Rex gasped and glared back at Fukuro.

"Ho Ho Hou!" Fukuro cried triumphantly and the jet headed for Natsu and then the arms extended then grabbed Natsu. The Dragon Slayer then began struggling as it picked him up and then began spiralling around at a really fast pace that made it hard for Rex to look at it normally. "A skilled knight like me knows how to hone in on a person's weaknesses. Salamander suffers from motion sickness. And like any smart person they exploit it before going in for the kill."

Simon growled, despite being unable to fight. "Even his techniques are just as crazy as he is." He managed, amazed at Fukuro.

The missiles then dropped Natsu and Fukuro jumped towards him and then began to _eat _Natsu much to the surprise of everyone and his beak extended to impossible proportions and began swallowing him despite quite a bit of resistance and they struggled for a while but Fukuro punched Natsu again and then close his beak. Inside, Natsu unleashed a torrent of fire but it was pointless as he felt himself being swallowed by the giant owl man.

"Like any bird of prey I can **Capture** my opponent and digest the magic of those I eat." Fukuro exclaimed and then a pink tuft of hair appeared on his head.

Happy, Simon and Rex all gasped in shock and stood speechless before the latter switched to the Zap Plate and electricity blazed around him. "Give Natsu back!" Rex demanded.

"I think not Guardian Fairy, as a knight of justice I cannot allow any evil-doer his demands. **Fire Ho Ho Hou!**" Fukuro cried as he turned and shot a blast of fire from his fist at Rex.

"Not happening at all. **Zap Cannon!**" He shouted back and fired a large black orb of electricity at the flames and they both collided in an amazing display of sparks and flames.

Happy had stopped shaking and then began charging with Max Speed at the owl. "Let Natsu free right now!" The small blue cat shouted angrily but Fukuro repeated the same Spell he has previously used and it hit him dead on and he fell to the floor, unconscious.

From opposite the entrance there was an explosion and Rex was surprised to see Gray riding atop Braviary, with the Valiant Pokémon having a look of defiance upon seeing the owl man and Fukuro seemed to register the aggressive look. "Geez Natsu, how weak are you? Getting swallowed by this loser!" Gray scowled and Natsu began bashing from the inside, somehow hearing his insult, but to no avail.

"Cacaw! Don't worry about us Rex, you have to get back at Jellal for what he did. We're taking over from here." Braviary declared.

Fukuro didn't appear to object to this and looked on with intrigue. "It doesn't matter who my opponent is. A knight of justice never backs down from a challenge." He answered. "Ho ho hou! The digestion process has begun and in just 10 minutes, Salamander will become a permanent part of me as will his Magic!"

"Heads up!" Braviary cried as he began diving straight towards Fukuro with the help of Zen Headbutt and Gray timed his jump and rescued Happy who was almost fallen off the cage and his wings had disappeared. He was surprised to see that the owl had easily dodged it and returned to his Trainer's side.

"Take this. You _will _need it." Rex pointed out and held out a baton towards Braviary. The large hawk clamped down on it with his beak and felt his Speed rise sharply. Then he was outside and flying further up the tower to get to Jellal, and Rex had a funny feeling that the aforementioned master of the Tower of Heaven was also in the same area as the Plate.

* * *

**With Lucy and Juvia**

For some reason, Lucy and Juvia ended up being in the same group together and seemingly coming to a dead end in the form of a circular room with 7 tunnel mouths running into it and no sign of any of Jellal's knights yet. "Man, I'm surprised that Natsu hasn't heard us yet. With his hearing it should be impossible not to." Lucy said exasperated.

"Oh, so he's just like Gajeel then?" Juvia inquired, turning to face Lucy. "He's like a dog to an obedient master?"

"Umm… I wouldn't put it that way at all." Lucy sighed and was sweating slightly.

Juvia then focus on another super serious problem. "Why do I have to be stuck with my love rival instead of helping out my beloved Gray?" She cried out loud and began fantasizing about him.

Lucy groaned this time and sweatdropped. "I keep telling you for the last time that I'm not interested in Gray!" She pointed out loudly and then there was the sound of an electric guitar coming from the tunnel mouths, loud and deafening. "What the hell is making that noise? It's awful!" Lucy complained as she covered her ears.

"I actually find it rather attractive." Juvia said, focusing on the source.

"Uh! You would!" They stopped bickering when they saw what had to be the strangest looking person, even by Lucy's standards. With long hair, incredibly pale skin and weird looking makeup and wielding a guitar.

Vidaldus grinned and introduced himself. "This is like a concert from HELL!" He said loudly and stuck his tongue out then swung his hair around several times.

"Look at that hair!" Lucy cried.

Juvia watched him carefully. "I take it that you are one of his three knights?" She asked.

Vidaldus grinned. "Yeah, you're gonna be riding hell thanks to Vidaldus Taka, one of the wings of Trinity Raven who serve under the Death's Head Caucus!" He said before his hair suddenly began to attack Lucy and Juvia. The former began dodging in her own strange way and Vidaldus stopped attacking once he saw his hair passing through Juvia. "Woah, that's one crazy body sister." He observed.

"Okay, I give up. This guy is too much for me!" Lucy cried out and left it to Juvia.

"Drip drip drop, **Water Lock!**" Juvia chanted and then Vidaldus was surrounded by an orb of water with a look of surprised look on the assassins face and he struggled for a tiny bit and then grinned and looked at Juvia as a slurping, sucking sound could be heard. "What?" Juvia cried out in shock as they both saw the hair sucking up the water.

Once that was done and the hair looked cleaner Vidaldus threw it to the side in slow motion and let out a sigh of relief. "You gotta rinse your lock every once in a while. My hair can suck up any watery liquid, unless it's oil or petrol. Those things really mess up your 'do." Vidaldus added before pointing a finger at Lucy.

"En-ey men-ey min-ey mo." With each syllable he move to Juvia then Lucy and so on. "Catch one of these love-ly ladies by the toe!" He finished and ended up pointing at Juvia who braced herself for what was going to happen. Vidaldus grinned as he said the next words. "Looks you get to become my succubus."

"Succubus?" Juvia asked, wondering what it mean.

"Oh yeah, **Rock of Succubus!**" Vidaldus grinned and began playing his guitar. This guitar was shaped like a blue axe with a fan that had a spike in the center and it was mostly white save for a noticeable line of blue around the edge. His guitar pick began generating sparks and then the fan began whirring followed shortly afterwards by it unleashing a burst of energy and Vidaldus let out a wild scream of joy.

Then purple tendrils of magic erupted from it and the began assaulting Juvia by wrapping around her and forcing Magic energy into her. "What's happening to me-e-e-e?" She cried out in horror as she felt herself change. "Stay back!" She warned Lucy. After a moment she was glowing and when it subsided there was a completely different Juvia.

Juvia now had a revealing burgundy outfit with a tattoo that was reminiscent of a heart on her body. Around her neck was a pale spiky necklace and around one of her wrists was a spiked bracelet. She was also missing her hat and also wore a pair of skinny jeans and white shoes to match. There was also a grin on her face and she said in a voice that sounded like a feminine version of Vidaldus, "Get ready blondie, because tonight we're going to hell." She said and then waggled her tongue quickly like him.

Jellal chuckled as he moved the guitar piece and knocked over the jar. "So the Celestial Mage and the Water Mage are both facing Vidaldus. Too bad for them they're as good as dead. And the ice wizard is now facing off against Fukuro but with another unexpected player." Jellal paused for a moment to consider. "One of Rex's friends, then."

Vidaldus cheered and his began playing his guitar really loudly and Lucy covered her ears to quieten the noise down a little. "What is wrong with you, can't you get a hold of yourself?" She asked desperately.

"Sorry my blonde angel but that ain't gonna happen. This chick is under my control now and she does only what I say." Vidaldus grinned and he began playing his guitar and the two of them began dancing on the spot.

"Why only Juvia?"

Vidaldus stopped and he turned back to face Lucy. "Because having both of you become my Succubus would be boring. Seeing two lovely angels get into a cat-fight and tear each others clothes off is much more fun!" He grinned.

Lucy glared at him, not scared for the moment. "What a rotten thing to do!"

Vidaldus chuckled. "That's the greatest compliment I ever had in this business. Alright babe, show this dressed up chick how to rock! YEAAAAAH!" He screamed in joy and played his guitar again. the exhaust lit up as if on fire.

"If you won't rock then you can go straight to hell." Juvia snarled as she began unleashing several large waves of water at Lucy who just stood there in disbelief.

"Not again! I got my clothes just wet!" Lucy complained and then Juvia appeared from underneath one of the puddles and grabbed Lucy by the shoulder before ripping off the clothes from her top and leaving her top naked. To the amusement of Vidaldus and Succubus Juvia.

Then she was suddenly surrounded by a tornado of water and Juvia then came up and then turned her whole body to liquid. "If you want to join Fairy Tail then you shouldn't be fighting your allies!" She pointed and Succubus Juvia ignored that and fully immersed her in water.

The she appeared and grabbed her by the hair. "Let's go for a walk on the wild side and rock blondie!" Juvia said and dragged her through the current before throwing her into the wall. Juvia then smirked at Lucy and she used her Water Cane spell to repeatedly attack Juvia from behind. "That's not rock that's sadism!" She cried out

"Yeah baby, do it like that!" Vidaldus cheered Juvia on. "I know, how about something to get really mad over like you're fighting for someone's love!" He suggested.

Juvia got really steaming, almost like the time she first met Gray and fought him. "He's a love rival and there is no way he'll love her!" She screamed and shot forwards surrounded by water.

Lucy was the engulfed by water again but Juvia didn't attack her this time. _It's no use, this guy is off the wall crazy strong. What's worse is that once I'm dead he'll get rid of Juvia as well. We can't win_. She thought.

_End of the line, blondie._ Succubus Juvia called out to her from within the water.

Lucy let out a bit of air. _I'm running out of air as well, I'll drown._ She thought desperately and then heard another voice.

_Lucy, I'm sorry for what I'm doing and I hope we can still be friends if we make it out of this. _This time she heard the voice of what Juvia normally looked like. _It's just that this creepy guy has complete control over my body and I can't resist him. If i really was being serious then I wouldn't win against you, because even though you're a love rival I really _do _care for you, though calling us allies might be presumptuous. _Juvia told her calmly.

_Still not love rivals. _Lucy sweatdropped and responded.

_It's just that I have grown to really, honestly love Fairy Tail. It's such a happy and warm place that even when it's raining outside, inside the Guild there are many bright rays of sunshine. Not least my darling Gray. Everyone will there to support each other regardless of the differences, including the Guardian Fairy._

Lucy paused as she listened to this and didn't want to say a word.

_All my life has been me trying to get along with everyone but I only make things worse. _Juvia sniffed and an image of her head appeared in the water, crying.

_Even though her body is made of water, her tears are warm. _Lucy cried and then felt herself being thrown onto the ground and into a small crater where she slowly got out despite her injuries. "Someone who tears for a friend from Fairy Tail will never be rejected!" She declared with a bold look on her face. The real Juvia inside began crying tears of joy.

Vidaldus had decided that enough and had a disgusted look on his face. "Bah, this show is getting boring. Finish the job!" He commanded.

Succubus Juvia grinned and her hair began flowing up and was surrounded by water in a spinning top motion **(To mention that name would be a sell out.) **and stuck her tongue out. "My **Water Jigsaw **will end this and send you to hell blondie!" She then charged forwards at Lucy.

_Lucy quick get out of the way! _Juvia pleaded.

She stood her ground however and held a Golden Key. As the Water Jigsaw came right at her she thrust her hand out and managed to get the Key inside the raging water that was cutting at her hand. "**Open: Gate of the Water Bearer - Aquarius!**" Lucy chanted and a bell like sound rang across the room, followed the appearance of said Spirit.

Vidaldus was distracted. "She summoned that chick?" He asked quietly.

"As long as there is water I can summon my strongest… spirit…" Lucy trailed off as Aquarius emerged and glared angrily at her.

"SHUT UP!" Aquarius roared to the group and then sucked in all of the water including that of Juvia's body creating enough water to partially fill up the area. Everyone stopped fighting as the current crashed on them, more scared of Aquarius than anything else.

Vidaldus became joyful though as he began sucking up the water. "Don't you know that water is the best thing for my hair?"

Lucy broke the surface and began looking around. "Juvia are you there?"

Moments later she broke the surface, still wearing her rock outfit but seemingly out of his control. "Lucy!" She called out in response and the two began swimming together. "Quick, hold my hand!" She said as the two got closer and they did so. This made Lucy's mark glow as the magic of both Aquarius and Juvia fused together.

From his throne Jellal looked at the guitar piece that suddenly had a crack in it. "What is this sudden increase in Magic from the two?" He wondered then realised what this might mean. "Are they doing Unison Raid? But that takes years to master." Jellal muttered and looked on with surprise.

Vidaldus quickly realised that something was off as the water kept coming and coming. "W-wait a minute… this water is getting too much!" He said, horrified. "Please girls I was only kidding, come on we can make this up can't we babes?" He pleaded and was caught in the vortex of the Unison Raid and began falling back and his hair popped of making him bald.

Juvia, now looking like herself, and Lucy fell to one knee before getting up slowly and looking at the man before celebrating with each other with a hug. _She feels so warm, it's finally glad to see a woman treat me in a friendly manner._

The only one not sharing the feeling was Aquarius who had a grumpy look on face. "Listen, girlie. If you ever summon me in place like that again I **will **kill you. Especially if it's in a toilet bowl. Don't summon me for the next two weeks as I am going on a vacation with my boyfriend." She moved away before turning to Lucy. "You could get a boyfriend, though I think it's hard for you." The Water Bearer added with a smirk on her face.

"Hey, I'm single by choice!" Lucy raged at her.

"Love is an important thing Lucy." Juvia added, trying to both calm down and cheer up at the same time.

The pair of them sat down as they began letting exhaustion take in from the crazy battle that had unfolded. "We defeated one of Jellal's knights. Bet he didn't see that coming." Lucy muttered with a smile.

Juvia frowned. "But it was you who defeated him in the end Lucy-san." She pointed out.

"You don't have to use that Juvia, we're friends now." Lucy said.

Juvia began to cry again. "Great, now rain is coming down again."

Lucy couldn't help but laugh at that. "That's a nice way of putting it." She chuckled and the two female Mages eventually laid down on the ground and began resting to recover their strength. _We can't even move, so I guess it's up to the rest of you. _Were the last thoughts of the Celestial Mage before she fell unconscious.

Jellal knocked over the guitar piece with the key. _I had heard tales of priests wasting their whole lives trying to perform the same miracle that those two just did. Unison Raid Magic… could _he _achieve it in spite of his otherworldly origins? _He pondered and turned back to the other match that was currently taking place. Gray Fullbuster &amp; Braviary vs. Fukuro.

"They are all Erza's friends. Perhaps it should be no surprise then, and now it's my move." Jellal said out loud with a grin before looking at his piece.

* * *

**Era**

The voting process is over and it was not to Siegrain's favour. "The vote stands at 4 in favour and 5 against the use of Etherion. Therefore it will not be fired." Org stated.

"You blind idiots!" Siegrain shouted, losing his composure slightly and glared at Org. This also riled up Jellal for an as yet unknown reason.

This seemed to rouse the Council up a bit and Org quickly face him. "We believe we can find a peaceful solution. There is nothing that can change that, and you should watch your tongue!" He snapped back.

Siegrain took a deep breath and kept his confidence, but his burning gaze was still. "It's not just the Tower of Heaven itself that makes it dangerous but also who Jellal plans to resurrect. If that were to happen then the consequences would be catastrophic." He explained with exaggerated patience.

"Then who is it? Stop beating around the bush." Michello demanded.

Siegrain paused for dramatic effect. "I dared not to speak his name for it could send the whole place trembling and I was hoping not to but now I have no choice. Jellal plan to use the R-System to resurrect the Black Wizard ZEREF!" He raised his voice at the name.

Almost immediately there was a mass shock that ran across the Council, and everyone except for Siegrain and Ultear displayed varying degrees of shock, but the latter closed her eyes. Yajima opened his eyes widely, like some and others had gasped out loud in shock.

"Are you sure?" Org asked quietly.

"Unfortunately yes. Call it twin telepathy, but the time I spent with Jellal before being possessed gave me plenty of insight. In order to accomplish his goals he'll use it to revive Zeref." Siegrain said before suggesting something. "I propose a revote on the use of Etherion."

This time both Siegrain and Jellal were satisfied with the outcome as there were now 8 votes in favour of firing Etherion and only one against. Yajima was perhaps, unsurprisingly, the only one who voted against this motion and later went to Siegrain's office and knocked on the door. Elsewhere in the Magic Council, toad assistants were running around and panicking all over the place as they prepared for Etherion.

"Enter." Came the reply. Inside there were rows and rows of books on bookshelves and directly behind a large looking desk where Siegrain sat in a chair and Ultear. "Yajima, I wondered if you were going to come here." Siegrain confessed.

Yajima walked directly to the window and Siegrain got up from his chair and stood a few feet from him. "I'm still opposed to the use of Etherion. I just can't get my head around how many lives will be lost, and how we will tell their families." He muttered. "But worst of all, what about your twin brother?" At this, he turned to face Siegrain. "Could you live with the fact that you killed him?"

"As twins you develop a greater understanding of each other, more so than two of the best friends. I know Jellal all too well."

Yajima turned to face him with a serious glare on his face. "ARE YOU WILLING TO ACCEPT THE CONSEQUENCES OF USING ETHERION!?" He demanded harshly of Jellal. Ultear looked on with patient interest.

"... I am."

* * *

**Elsewhere**

Gray, now riding atop Braviary as they gave Happy to Simon. "I thought you were going to save Erza from Jellal!" He accused him, and even Braviary stayed silent as he sensed the rage coming from the Ice-Make Mage.

"Gh. I was, along with Natsu and Rex but this maniac showed up and they fought until you came in. He's gone ahead. Whether or not Rex has caught up with Shô is anyone's guess." Simon admitted.

Gray growled. _I don't doubt that Erza can beat anyone but… _"Well what about Shô? Why didn't you try and stop him?" He demanded.

Simon hesitated for a moment. "I thought he could handle the truth. Clearly I thought wrong." He said helplessly.

Happy decided to interrupt the lovely chat. "You can talk later but right now we have to save Natsu from that creepy owl guy or he'll be gone for good!" He pleaded, eyes filling with tears.

They all paused and looked at the small blue cat, with Gray in particular being strongly affected by his sudden outburst and remembering a day he would never forget eight years ago.

**Fairy Tail - X776**

_It was another day eight years ago at the guild and not much was really different from then, the only thing that had changed was the members. Back then the famous member were all very young, except for Makarov perhaps. A young Gray Fullbuster was consulting his fortune with a young Cana._

"_Today it gonna be your lucky day." She stated adamantly as she picked up a random card._

"_That's bogus Cana and you know it! I haven't been lucky all day! First I accidently pushed a cart and sent it crashing and then I fell in a puddle, how the hell is it supposed to be my lucky day!" Gray ranted._

"_I'm not wrong Gray, and put some clothes on!" Cana retorted and the doors opened._

_Everyone quieted down as they saw a lone figure walk through. Scarlet hair, an eyepatch over her right and in tattered clothes. "This looks like the place Grandpa Rob told me about." Erza Scarlet muttered and Gray looked on in confusion._

**Present Day**

Braviary wordlessly extended a wing and Gray got on. As soon as he took off the Valiant Pokemon said out loud. "Keep fighting flame brain, cacaw!" He screeched and Natsu pounded hard against the stomach of Fukuro once more.

Carefully balancing on top of Braviary, Gray prepare himself and got into his two handed stance again. "**Ice-Make: Lance!**" He cried and sent a volley of seven lances at Fukuro.

"You seem to have forgotten I have Salamander's power." Fukuro informed them somewhat cockily. He took in a deep breath and then shouted, "**Fire Dragon's Roar!**" and from a dusty brown Seal there was a stream of fire that melted all of the lances and was heading straight.

"Nope!" Braviary cried and then stopped before up righting himself and Gray quickly held on to him as Braviary used Heat Wave and countered the roar with a wave of his own fire. Granted it wasn't as strong as his physical attack but Braviary did have Sheer Force.

It was overpowered by the Fire Dragon's Roar though and it came out stronger because the Heat Wave was practically riding it as well and curled round it. The pair of them were blasted back into a cage and Braviary almost squashed Gray. The two of them were back in the air.

"Using Heat Wave… not one of my bright ideas." Braviary admitted.

"Ya think?!" Gray retorted in surprise.

"Fine, have you got a better idea?" Braviary asked back almost childishly.

"What's your best attack?" Gray asked.

"...Brave Bird. But you gotta distract him first, and I can use Work Up to boost it even further and knock him out in one shot." Braviary said before flipping Gray off and charging Fukuro with Zen Headbutt.

"**Fire Ho Ho Hou!**" Fukuro cried out and shot a blast of fire from his hands and Braviary punched through it and continued to dive straight at him. The owl man waited and then jumped up to avoid being hit and thought something was wrong when he saw that the eagle like creature continued going and landed on another cage.

"**Ice-Make: Hammer!**" Fukuro heard Gray cry out and moved quickly, using Fire Dragon's Roar again, completely melting the hammer and surrounding him in fire.

"You should know how hot Salamander's fire is. After all you are his friend aren't you?" Fukuro taunted him and ignored Braviary using Work Up twice in a row because he was in the air and the sound of the roaring fire drowned out the flapping of wings.

"Hhhggg, GAH!" Gray cried out in anger as his Magic power temporarily increased and he managed to nullify the flames and freeze the surrounding area he had another flashback.

**Fairy Tail - X776**

_It had been a week or two since Erza had joined the Guild, but her eye still had to be replaced and she still sat on her own to the side of the Guild Hall. A few people made a comment about her but the only ones to pay attention to her were Gray and Cana._

"_She's not been here long but she constantly wears armour and just… the way she is ignoring us." Cana said to Gray as if the tone in her voice explained everything._

_The shirtless boy had had enough of it though and got up then walked over to Erza and began talking to her. "What's the deal? Can't you say anything?" He asked trying to provoke her. She ignored him._

"_Woah would you get a look at this. Stripper boy is confronting the new girl!" Macao joked. In his younger days he had spiky hair._

"_I bet 100 Jewel on the new girl beating him up!" Wakaba grinned as he puffed his cigar several times._

_Gray got irritated and then decided to kick the table over, getting everyone's attention, including Erza's who quietly looked at him. "At least look at me! This place is no Guild for girls who wear armour." Gray snapped at her._

_This annoyed Erza who snapped right back at him. "This isn't a place for people with no clothes on either. Are you a member of a perverts Guild?" She asked calmly and Gray was shocked._

_There was a round of laughter at his expense. "Ah-ha ha ha! Well done Gray you got her attention!" "You've got more enemies than clothes!" "Does this mean I get 100 Jewel?" "Fine, I'll pay you."_

"_Shut up!" Gray growled as he stormed out of the Guild in embarrassment. _

_Later that day when the sun was setting, Erza stood by the river on her own and was looking into it. From behind her Gray Fullbuster was watching her and planning to attack her for the insult earlier. "Here I come and I ain't gonna… !" Gray shouted as he began to charge Erza but then stopped when she turned round and he saw her crying._

"_Why are you always trying to pick a fight with me?" Erza asked but got no reply, but Gray stood instead by the river. "Well? Aren't you going to do that now?"_

_Gray snorted. "No, because you're crying. Why are you alone anyway?" He asked her._

"_It's because I liked being alone, no one else bothered me." Erza answered._

"_Then why are you crying all alone?" Gray asked and Erza gasped in shock and was even more shocked when he sat down next to her. They continued doing so for a while and that started their wonderful relationship with each other._

**Present Day**

Fukuro began thinking for a moment, still forgetting about Braviary who had used Work Up four times now and was resting for a moment to let his body relax before going silent as to not alert the owl assassin. "Hmm, you have more Magic power than I expected. Looks like I'll capture **you **as well. Ho Hou!" Fukuro triumphed and flew down fast to Gray.

Like with Natsu he expanded his beak greatly and clamped it over part of Gray's shirtless body and the Ice Mage grabbed the beak with his free hand and froze part of it. The sudden cold make Fukuro step backwards out of shock and Gray got into a two handed stance again. This time an ice blue seal appeared and two spikes of ice formed starting from his elbow. "We don't have time for a clown like you!"

"**Ice Blade: Seven Slice Dance!**" Gray cried and rushed forwards, striking Fukuro individually 5 times then attacking with both once. Fukuro was launched into the air.

"**Brave Bird!**" Braviary screeched as he launched like a missile from his place and was instantly surrounded by a rush of blue energy, and his body looked like is was on some sort of ethereal fire and with the boost in speed slammed into Fukuro so hard he broke through a cage before trapping him in another. This released Natsu who fell onto the top of another cage.

The Valiant Pokemon grinned for a moment before slowing down and panting next to Simon. "Great… work… squawk..." He grinned before being shocked by red electricity. Braviary didn't have the energy to screech in pain but an expression was enough.

"Now what?" Simon asked, looking around for any suspicious people that Jellal didn't tell them about.

"Okay, recoil is pretty… ow…" Braviary answered and slowly righted himself.

Once Simon saw that was the truth and turned back to Gray who had been carried by Happy and he picked up Natsu. "You're stronger than my research initially lead me to believe. Your friendship and determination are what both allow you to increase your Magic Power." He admitted. _The lengths I've seen these people go to to help her, you've chosen a fine Guild Erza. Stand proud of that fact._

* * *

**Era**

In order for Etherion to be fired the center of Satellite square reshaped itself drastically for what was to come. Inside there were four large angel statues that supported a golden ring with a map showing the location at which the Etherion was to be fired. Underneath was a black orb with a red, blue, green and yellow Seal facing into it from different sides and three of the Council members - Org, Belno and Leiji - looked on from one side. Several of the magic Council assistants were hovering around this space and shouting out important information.

"Even though we are in violation, we are protected by Article 24 of the National Defense Code that states that Etherion must only be used in drastic consequences. Why are you still worried?" Leiji asked of Org.

"I'm concerned more for the lives that are lost when firing this thing. I wish there was a way other than this." Org answered solemnly.

Outside a large diamond shaped crystal appeared surrounded by four pillars that was partially covered by crystals - each pillar had crystals that matched one of the seals inside the Satellite Square. Everyone in the town where it was saw it and an old lady even had a perfect view of it from some distance away.

* * *

**Tower of Heaven**

Outside many of the workers had seen something that gave them enough reason to be seriously panicking. Up in the sky high above the Tower of Heaven, three golden Seals had appeared. The first was a filled in circle. The second one was a hollow square with four smaller circles at the midpoint of each side that match the colours of the ones in the Satellite Square and the final one was a circle the same distance away as the first circle.

"The Council are preparing to fire Etherion! We gotta get out of here!" They all panicked.

Inside the Tower Shô was running desperately and angrily towards the throne room. "I can't believe that Jellal lied to me like that! I'm gonna make sure he pays for that!" Shô shouted in anger and he ran down a hallway towards a door.

Inside his jacket pocket there was the Card that contained Erza Scarlet, and she was banging desperately against it. "Let me out Shô!" She pleaded.

"No!" Shô answered and shook his head. "I won't let Jellal lay a finger on you. It's best if you stay there!" He carried on and stop once he got into a room.

It was very much japanese themed with red garden gates on a wooden bench above a large pond with blue rock. In the background stood a large sakura tree with blossom gently floating down from it. Both of them also heard a gentle sound of walking accompanied by a brief shaking of the bells. The sound was made by Ikaruga.

"A young man. Welcome, my name is Ikaruga. I am the head of Trinity Raven, and who might you be?" She asked politely and looked on calmly but within that calmness was a deadly snake, waiting to strike.

Shô frowned and ignored that question. "Who are you? GET OUT OF THE WAY!" He shouted.

Ikaruga shook her head in sorrow. "Such a rude person, are all men like that? We have plenty of time to know each other." She tutted.

Shô got out several cards. "I warned you to get out of my way!" He said loudly and threw three cards. A Seal appeared and they multiplied into many cards. Ikaruga's eyes shrunk in anticipation and she unsheathed her sword and slashed three times. All the cards stopped suddenly and a large X gash appeared in the floor and Shô stopped suddenly, and then fell to the floor limply.

"Shô? What are you doing sitting there?" Erza cried from the card and pounded the barrier, creating a yellow glow.

"I can't do anything sister!" Shô protested and Ikaruga found the source of the voice.

"My Mugestu-Ryu style can cut through anything." Ikaruga explained before turning to see Erza in the card. "I'm surprised that you're in a card. Looks like we'll have to get you out." She stated calmly.

Shô chuckled. "That's impossible. Sister is in another dimension." He explained and Ikaruga didn't bat an eye.

"Let's test that theory then." She suggested and attack the card once, and a yellow flash was seen from the card. Smirking as if to say that she had come alive Ikaruga unleashed a volley of swipes and Shô held on to the floor as best as he could whilst he felt the force of the sword clash with the card. From inside, Erza appeared to be parrying the sword stroke.

Eventually there was yellow crackling orb through which Erza Scarlet appeared, and nearly fell from the slight difference in the angle of the floor. "As soon as I felt the barrier between dimension weaken I attacked it to free myself." She stated. Ikaruga nodded once iôn acknowledgment of this.

Shô was amazed. _Incredible! She figured out how to escape in such a short time._ He thought.

"Leave now, my business is with Jellal." Erza ordered and glared at Ikaruga fiercely.

Ikaruga tutted gently. "I'm afraid not Erza Scarlet. I am just getting started." She added menacing and her eyes shrunk. Then the Heart Kreuz Armour abruptly shattered leaving only her clothes on much to her shock. Erza looked down in horror. "I told you that my sword can cut through anything."

"...Fine, you being in my way of Jellal won't be a problem then." Erza declared and then requipped into her Heaven's Wheel Armour and began attacking. "**Circle Sword!**" She declared as she summoned a number of swords to attack Ikaruga.

The cherry blossom assassin parried them and they hovered in the air before a flash of light tore through all of them. "Dissapointing. I thought you were better than that Erza." Ikaruga sighed as they broke along with the wings followed by the rest of her armour. "That was Yacha's Empty Flash." She said calmly.

"That's not an ordinary sword sister!" Shô called out, still unable to move.

A second later she was drawing a line around her and from the tip of her sword and drew a ring of fire around her. "**Garuda Flame.**" She chanted and eventually the top third of it was covered in flame. Then she shot the fire at her and she requipped quickly into her Flame Empress Armour just before hit.

Several blasts carried down the bridge and Shô was amazed at the speed of her change. "Ah yes, the Flame Empress Armour, it greatly reduces the power of fire based Magic. It can't however reduce the cutting properties of my sword." She noted duly and most of her Armour shattered, leaving only the leg plates. "My my, could you at least dress more appropriately in front of a man like him! Is this even your strongest armour?"

Erza growled at the taunt. "If that is what you want then fine! **Requip - Purgatory Armour!**" SHe cried and her body glowed golden again. Taking on the appearance of a metallic dress, the armor is a dark slate color with a lighter gray trim. The shoulder guards are a light gray color with a large spike protruding off of it. The arm guards bear a simple weaving pattern with three spikes jutting out, each smaller than the last. The leg greaves start just below her hips with three progressively smaller spikes protruding starting at the knees. Around her neck is a small necklace of black, diamond shaped jewels. A single horn works its way out from underneath her hair atop her head. It was accompanied by a large black mace with spikes going down one side of it much like her Armour.

Her eyes were glowing red she radiated anger. "No one who has seen this armour has ever lived to tell the tale!" Erza cried out in a slightly distorted voice.

Ikaruga smiled a knowing smile. "Oh really? Then let's test it's capabilities." She suggested and they both ran at each other and began trading blows. One blow is all it took the send the wind rushing violently around the place and tear up the ground. Shô looked on in amazement at the speed and power of both female Mages and then saw Erza Scarlet push back Ikaruga with her mace using her sword.

"It doesn't matter what you do Titania, I'll just break your armour into pieces and then make you surrender." Ikaruga declared gleefully and Erza cried out as she felt her Purgatory armour shatter into pieces along with her mace.

Erza got up onto her feet again and took a few moments before requipping into the armour neither of them expected. She wore a bandage around her breasts and wore a hakama that looked like the legs of a Blaziken.

Ikaruga raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "I'm sorry. I thought you were going to use your strongest armour and now you're not going to?" She mocked.

Shô was amazed by such a choice. "Sister, don't tell me you have got nothing left? I thought you were stronger than this!" He blurted out and was losing hope quickly.

Erza shook her head at him. "No, I'm not that strong. All I've done is hide behind a suit of armour. It's because of the fact that my early life has seen the loss of someone dear to me and I was separate from my friends, losing an eye in the process. I figured that if I ever got close to anyone else then that was the same thing that would happen to them." She explained, remembering her time in the Tower of Heaven and her initial meeting with the Guild. She also remembered some more of the time and how she constantly stopped Natsu and Gray from fighting only to then start a fight with Mirajane 'The Demon' Strauss.

"So I put a suit of armour around me and kept my emotions shielded away from everyone. It never failed until a while ago when our strongest non S-Class Mage Rex Vermend joined the Guild. But it also shielded me from not only my pain but love as well." She continued and remembered every time that her friends had been there to help her.

_"When we get back, I wanna take you on! I'm stronger than I was last time!" Natsu declared, much to the surprise of everyone else present._

_"Like it or not Erza, we are all involved the moment they took Happy and Rex along with you. In case you didn't know you are a part of the team and you can't do everything on your own." Braviary began and then choked up a bit._

_Rex got up and looked surprised at that comment. "Seriously? I thought that you look just fine even with your armour."_

"But now I've cast all those fears off." Erza declared and she summoned a pair of katanas and began charging at Ikaruga and the Sword Magic user in response smile and also charged forwards. There was a single clash of swords and Erza and Ikaruga stood facing away from each other for a moment.

"Congratulations." Ikaruga spoke and her sword broke. This followed up by a large wound appearing across her stomach and she fell down. A cut appeared in Erza's left shoulder and one of her katanas broke. "The light of justice, rain down in 15 minutes, it shall kill us all." She sang softly.

"What a wretched haiku!" Erza scowled and realised what this meant in horror. "It means that the Council have voted in favour of firing Etherion. We don't have time to waste. Shô, go and find everyone else who is in here and get out. I have to finish this."

"Sister, do you think now…?" Shô asked and Erza nodded confidently.

* * *

**Outside - 15 minutes until Etherion fires**

Outside the Tower of Heaven Rex had just come through a room that looked as if it had been emptied quite drastically and there was something about that which he didn't like and quickly went backwards outside and looked up. He observed the seals for about a minute before coming to a quick and shocking conclusion. "Jellal was talking about Etherion… when he implemented Heaven's Game he mentioned they were voting… does this mean-!"

Rex gasped audibly and felt his eyes widen from horror. "They agreed?! Not good, because if they resorted to Etherion then it must be bad." He muttered out loud as he remembered the way Wally reacted to it and if that wasn't a good sign then Rex didn't know what was.

Then he ground his teeth as he felt the Plate calling out to him in his head. But it was hazy and Rex had no idea what was causing it, and was more concerned about Etherion right now. _If that thing hits then it could potentially kill everyone on here. Including… Erza… _Rex trailed off and stared into space for a moment until a thought cloud appeared over his face and he had the head of a donkey with the word "JACKASS" written on it.

"GODDAMNIT SHIT!" Rex cursed and punched a wall with Mega Punch.

Palkia and Dialga were watching and for some reason the lake trio were also there with popcorn. "What d'you think he's figure out?" Mesprit asked. Uxie sighed and whispered in her ear. "Oh. That's not good." Mesprit said quietly.

"What the hell are you thinking about confronting Jellal alone? That'll kill you!" Rex shouted and began running inside the room again, hoping to get there before she did.

Elsewhere Simon was carrying a still queasy Natsu from their battle. "Hey are you feeling okay?" The large man asked him.

"Yeah and now I'll never hear the end of it from Gray, that thing was not fun though. Urk!" Natsu groaned as he felt his cheeks swelled up.

"Just the memory of it make you motion sick?!" Simon asked incredulously. "I'm taking you to help Erza and sent the other to get away from this place as long as possible. That large bird, Braviary, is helping Happy and the others get to a boat down there. As for Wally and Millianna I've contacted them to inform them of what's happened and Shô too." He explained.

It was a minute later that Natsu was feeling fine. "All right where is that owl? I wanna rematch!" He declared rather hot headedly.

"What are you serious? What about helping Erza against Jellal?" Simon asked, dumbfounded.

"Erza doesn't need any help fighting Jellal." Natsu answered, uninterested. "She's strong enough to take him on by herself."

Simon shook his head. "No she isn't."

That instantly got Natsu angry. "Don't say that, Erza is plenty strong! She's more than capable of taking on Jellal!" He shouted.

Simon shook his head. "I don't mean it like that." Natsu frowned, confused. "I mean emotionally. She still thinks that she can save him and that there is some good left in him. Erza doesn't have it in her to kill Jellal." He elaborated with exaggerated patience.

Natsu began getting angry for another reason. "Damnit Erza! Don't give up!" He shouted and then he suddenly began to run up the Tower. Simon quickly followed him in exasperation.

* * *

**Throne Room - 10 minutes left**

Jellal moved the chess pieces and knocked over Ikaruga's piece with Erza's and moved her piece closer to the king piece. Then he moved the Pokeball shaped piece closer to her corresponding piece. "So all three knights have fallen, leaving me. But that's not going to be a problem." Jellal said with a grin on his face.

"Shouldn't it be? Etherion is going to fire in 10 minutes and like you said that's game over." A female voice said sharply and he looked up to see that Erza Scarlet facing him in her flaming hakama.

Jellal removed the hood that was covering his head and reveal a face that was identical to Siegrain's. "I am aware of that Erza. It's nice to see that you're looking good. Don't worry about that they WILL fire Etherion." He said offhandedly.

Erza glared at him silently and looked over at the space behind the throne and saw a large black coffin shaped object encased in machinery "Is that one of Rex's Plates? How did you get that?!" She demanded and Jellal chuckled lightly.

"Always so direct, typical. If you must know." Jellal sighed calmly, almost in a mocking tone. "I only got it about a month ago but as soon as I saw it I knew that it was something interesting about it. I had Shô and the others retrieve it from just outside and then they began to work on this wonderful piece of machinery here." He indicated the Converter.

She changed the subject. "Do you find it so funny that you would play with the lives of other people?"

Jellal smiled slightly. "Life is a game. Death is the end of that game, and it's what happens in between those two that intensify emotions."

Erza didn't say anything but she crouched slightly with one sword in her hands and Jellal grinned with interest and waited for her. "All I have to do is hold you for 10 minutes and this nightmare will all be over." She sat out loud.

Jellal grinned and then laughed out loud. "Is that so? I beg to differ, it's your destiny to become the sacrifice of Zeref!" He answered back and closed his eyes before opening them to reveal a glowing deformed Z. "Seven minutes left. Let's enjoy these seven minutes together." He offered with a wave of his hand and a large globulous object created with red outlines.

"It doesn't matter because Etherion will end this. I have nothing to fear. If Etherion does rain down then at least you'll go down with me." Erza declared adamantly.

Jellal shook his head slightly. "And what of your friend, Rex? I doubt he'll take it lightly." He taunted. "He might curse think it's Fairy Tail's fault when he sees this world and search for these on his own." Jellal added referring to the Plate in the Ethernano Converter.

Erza felt her whole body shake and she almost lost her composure. '_What? How does he know about Rex and where he comes?' _She thought and tried to keep her facade up as much as she could. But in her mind, Erza couldn't help but wonder what would happen if Rex found out she died.

Jellal fired a tentacle made of Darkness Magic at her but she cut through it and it crashed onto the floor below. Uttering a war cry Erza dashed forwards and attacked Jellal to no avail as he caught her. Jellal then prepared another orb of Darkness Magic but Erza had the sense to jump backwards in time and the explosion created by it destroyed a part of the throne room and sent Erza falling

This created many rocks and Erza was undeterred as she leapt off of a rock and back at him. "You would risk the Tower being destroyed? The one you forced others to slave away at?!" She asked him loudly and with anger as well.

Jellal dodged to one side and avoided being hit by another one of Erza's attacks and the chess board got destroyed in the process, each piece scattering. "This pillars are merely decorations Erza." He said calmly and fired more tentacles at her and she attacked them and jumped back on to the Lacrima crystal.

"But you enslaved my friends for eight years!" Erza shot back.

Jellal gave a sigh of regret. "How is it that you see fault with all of my words? They were willing to build it. These pillars don't matter, what matters is that the R-System is now complete!" He said, getting louder and more excited the more he said and then conjured another orb of darkness and fired it at Erza who dodged it.

As soon as she landed on the floor tentacles broke out from underneath and was then engulfed by an orb that proceeded to imprison Erza forever slowly. Jellal stopped and brushed down his coat, then looked on as she struggled within the sphere and tried to get out.

"Your skills are impressive Erza, but I'm afraid that you still haven't improved. 5 more minutes." Jellal muttered quietly.

Inside the sphere Erza stopped struggling and tried to pick herself up for a moment and then remembered something that Mirajane had disclosed with her shortly before their trip to Akane Resort.

_"How do you carry on?" Mirajane asked, sniffing._

_"I cried a lot a first, but one day I just got fed up of crying and decided that doing so wasn't going to solve anything. It made me the trainer I am today, and I do really miss them when I want to Mira. You blame yourself for what happened that day don't you? Just as much as Natsu and Elfman does, perhaps even more." Rex said somberly, and Mirajane stood there for a moment before hugging him tightly and she began crying into his shirt. The white haired Trainer smiled gently and hugged Mirajane back whilst not saying a word. It was best for her to let it all out right now._

_Yes, no more crying. _Erza thought and felt her Magic power increase suddenly and she clenched her sword.

Jellal suddenly felt a sharp increase in Magic Power and turned around suddenly as he watched Erza cut the orb in four and destroy it completely and looked on in shock at this new found confidence. He also noticed that her hair was down as well.

"Like I've said earlier, I've cast off all of my fear." Erza repeated herself and she rushed forwards to attack Jellal.

_Impossible! She wasn't the weak person I remembered all those years ago!_ Jellal thought in horror.

* * *

**Era**

As Etherion got closer to firing the black orb began to glow white, faint at first but slowly getting brighter and the toad operators moved away from it. Org, Leiji and Belno were still off to one side but they were now accompanied by most of the other members.

Only two members were left on their own - or to be more accurately three - and they were unsurprisingly Siegrain and Ultear. Siegrain had a look of dark joy on his face. "4 minutes left and then this will all be over. Are you ready Ultear?" He asked quietly.

Ultear stood just behind him and let grimace pass over her face for a second before nodding. "I'm ready, but I'm also a little bit scared Siegrain for what will happen." She admitted.

Siegrain turned to her and held her hands in a comforting way. "Don't be. Zeref will accept you into Heaven and you could even be my queen if you so wish. It won't be a problem if you turn it down though." He shrugged and turned back to face the weapon.

If Siegrain had paid more attention to his surroundings he would have felt a small magical presence that was being swamped by the enormous feel of Etherion then he would have spotted Yajima eavesdropping and he was currently trying to process that information. _Heaven? Zeref? What's going on here? _He thought.

* * *

**Time to cut it off here folks otherwise this would get ridiculously long. I am so sorry - as Insane Dominator already knows I didn't get any time over the holidays to actually write so I made it up by finishing the chapter in five days and I hope you liked it!**

**Next Time on Guardian Fairy - Rising Guardian**

**Four minutes left until Etherion fires, and five people are left standing. As Erza employs her gamble she is unaware of the gamble Jellal has set in motion. When the mystery surrounding Siegrain is solved, Rex will have to level up!**


	20. Rising Guardian (Tower of Heaven Finale)

**Not much to say other than get ready as the final chapter of the Tower of Heaven is here! And the fact that it's been a year since I started the story. What a nice way to conclude that year.**

**WARNING: The following chapter is extremely action packed and gut wrenching. If you are emotionally sensitive or cannot handle your mind being blown you may not wanna read. **

**Or go ahead it's your choice.**

**Previously on Guardian Fairy:**

**Rex: **That bastard Jellal, I'm gonna make him pay for what he intends to do to Erza! he initiated a thing called Heaven's Game where if we don't stop him he'll sacrifice Erza and open the gates to Heaven. Also to make things "interesting" he added three players who were all members of an assassins Guild. Initially I was there with Natsu and Simon who fought a creepy owl guy but Gray and Braviary entered the scene and took over. Lucy and Juvia fought a metal loving person and Erza and Shô were up against a woman with a very powerful sword. But she decided to requip into a hakama and defeat her with two swords.

**Rex: **Then she went to face Jellal. I was alone and saw that they were preparing to fire Etherion from above because the Magic Council decided to use it after Siegrain told that Jellal planned to revive Zeref. It was only then that I realised what Erza planned to do. I won't let that happen.

* * *

**Chapter 20 - Rising Guardian**

Outside the Tower of Heaven Shô, Wally, Millianna, along with Gray, Juvia, Lucy and Braviary and they had all boarded a little boat. Despite the protests of the latter group (particularly from Gray and Lucy) they were sailing anyway as the plan was to get away from the Tower as far as possible.

"You're joking!" Gray said angrily as if they had done something horrible. "Erza and Rex are still in there as well as your tall friend and Natsu. We have to go back."

"No can do! We got orders from Simon to get outta here. Besides Sister can take care of herself against Jellal. I saw it in her battle against Ikaruga." Shô countered and Gray grumbled silently to himself.

"Regardless, we've also got the threat of Etherion hanging over us stripper so it's a death trap in there anyways. All we can do is get away from here to a safe distance and hope that dollface returns safe and sound." Wally pointed out to the Magical Seals that were hanging over the Tower of Heaven. They had noticed that they were getting brighter as well and that meant it was going to fire soon but no one wanted to say that.

Braviary wasn't one to argue with this as he needed the time to recover from some of the recoil he had suffered when he dealt the finishing blow on Fukuro which was a lot more than he reckoned with. _Bah, if that creep was a Pokemon then the recoil wouldn't be so bad. _Braviary thought and grumbled. "Look we're exhausted. Can we please stop arguing over what happens? The only thing we can do is wait."

Everyone stared at him for a moment before acknowledging that he was correct. "Okay, but I still have this feeling that something bad is going to happen." Gray admitted.

"Would you like me to help you calm your nerves my darling Gray?" Juvia asked as she snuggled up next to him.

"I didn't mean like that!" Gray protested and everyone managed a weak chuckle.

"She liiiiikes you." Happy teased and that made Juvia blush all of a sudden and she turned to Gray hopefully.

"Give me a break Happy!" Gray shouted back at him and there was another round of weak laughs. Juvia froze in shock and began silently acting all depressed. Shô and Braviary were the only ones looking at the Tower of Heaven and thinking about Erza and Rex respectively.

Inside the Tower of Heaven the remains of the orb that was made of Darkness Magic lay on the throne room before dissolving. "Like I've said earlier, I've cast off all of my fear." Erza repeated herself and she rushed forwards to attack Jellal.

_Impossible! She wasn't the weak person I remembered all those years ago!_ Jellal thought in horror. This thought betrayed him as he felt the force of Erza's sword attack him several times and he was knocked to ground. Looking up he saw that Erza had her sword close to his throat and it looked like she was ready to drive it through. "Well then? Do it!" He said in defiance.

"I know there is something missing from this place. Otherwise those eight years of others slaving away for you would mean nothing." Erza said, ignoring him flatly and Jellal fell silent, watching on. "What was the missing link?" She asked of him. "I know that the R-System isn't complete so I wondered what the missing element was, and over the eight years I did my research."

Jellal raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "The R-System needs Magic. Lots of Magic - at least 2.7 billion Edeas." Erza stated and Jellal blinked out of surprise. "You've built this thing perfectly down to the small print. But that's impossible to get like that, as it's more than all of the possible magic accumulated by everyone and everything on the continent. Furthermore you know full well that the Council plans to fire Etherion at this tower and that would ruin your plans."

Jellal smirked and gave a reply. "Only three minutes left until they fire Etherion." He said almost in a sing song like voice much to the annoyance of Erza.

"So you want Etherion to fire just like that?! But then everything you'll work for has been destroyed!" Erza stated angrily.

Jellal's smirk faded into something Erza wouldn't have expected. A sombre smile. "That might not be so bad Erza." He said quietly and her reply was one of shocked silence. "All this time it was never truly me doing anything. I was possessed by the ghost of Zeref. He made me do all this even though I didn't want, and forced to do some horrible things." He added and Erza dropped her sword in horror and she covered her mouth with them.

There was a crash and it wasn't from the official stairway. The pair of them turned to see Rex Vermend, with an expression that could only be described as tranquil fury. "There you are. LET ME AT HIM!" He shouted before running across the throne room. Two steps later he saw that Erza was blocking his view and he demanded of her. "What the hell are you doing Erza?!"

"It's okay Rex." She answered calmly and he seemed confused. "Jellal has been possessed by Zeref all this time and was carrying out his bidding. Against his own will." Erza added and he could see tears of joy streaming down her cheek.

He immediately thought for a moment and scowled. "Okay but we still have to get out of here. Etherion is coming in less than 3 minutes and I don't- is that?" Rex gasped, turning his attention to the Plate that was encased in the machine. It was as black as night and it felt disgusting to say the least. _The Dread Plate! _

As if on cue the glass that was holding it broke and it fell awkwardly on the floor. _I'm so glad that thing didn't shatter. _Rex thought and let his initial panic slow down and he touched it. Like before it flashed three times before disappearing. This time he was forced on one knee as he felt years of darkness and evil feeling power rush through him and a black aura surrounded him as he did so.

"I never would have expected to see that up close. Heh." Jellal chuckled as both he and Rex were silently counting down to zero. "I'm sorry for not being beside you Erza. If it hadn't been me going there to save you we might not be in this sorry me we are today." He said to his friend who was holding him in her hands. From behind them stood Rex who was looking on with a neutral expression on his face.

"You don't have to apologise for what happened. Nobody knew that you were suddenly going to act the way you were." Erza replied.

"Freedom and paradise. It doesn't really exist. Erza I want you to kill me, otherwise I might end up doing something I'll do to regret." Jellal requested and Rex closed his eyes and sat down, looking away from the pair of them in order to hide his jealousy. He didn't open them, even when the ground began to shake. Less than a minute left.

* * *

**Era - 1 minute left**

The rest of the Council had gathered where Org stood, expect for Siegrain and Ultear who were watching from their own place and Yajima, eavesdropping on the other two. By now the orb within Satellite square had become a bright white light that blocked out most things and the crystal outside. The main group were praying and it looked as if they were coming to a conclusion.

"We pray to the sacred light, **Release Etherion!**" They concluded in a chant and then the main crystal outside was enveloped in a bright white orb and the same orb appeared within the three Magic Seals over the Tower of Heaven. A second later it fired.

* * *

**Tower of Heaven**

"I'm sorry as well, because I was too weak to save you Jellal. We'll both be sacrifices." Erza said calmly, her body relaxed as she waited for the inevitable death of all of them. The shaking intensified and there was a sudden burst of light from above that enveloped the three of them several seconds later. The two of them embraced and just as the light enveloped them completely Jellal had a manic grin suddenly on his face.

_I WIN! I WIN!_

_Damnit Father, I'm sorry. _Rex thought and he sighed in defeat but it was drowned out by the noise.

"What this incredible source of Magic?" Natsu asked, as he was almost at the top but not quite there. He was unable to see Erza and Jellal hugging each other.

Simon was not too far behind but the weight of the Magic in the air was stopping him from doing so. _I didn't want to go this way at all. But if there is anything good about this… then it means at least Jellal is gone too. _He conceded as he felt the force of Etherion from above.

At Spear Pillar, both Dialga and Palkia expressed shock as they witnessed the scene in front of them. "Damnit Rex! Why the hell did you do that?!" An outraged Dialga roared but that stirred Arceus.

_We cannot interfere, and you cannot alter time. _Arceus pointed out and Dialga grumbled. _Wait for things to calm down first Dialga. It isn't over yet. _He added in a neutral voice and Dialga sighed, knowing that Arceus was right.

"Hey look Azelf." Uxie whispered to his blue coloured friend and they both turned to see Mesprit holding a piece of popcorn in her hand and she had froze in both horror and anticipation. Then Uxie carefully took the popcorn with Psychic and began sharing it with Azelf.

Outside of the Tower of Heaven everyone watched as they saw Etherion rain down from above and felt the sea shake around it. Unfortunately for them this also caused a large tidal wave all around the tower and they all held on as they felt the boat being picked up and it nearly crashed against the rock. Lucy was the only one who screamed.

After a few minutes they all stared at the Tower of Heaven they tried to see what had happened but the smoke was too thick. "Um, so is it destroyed?" Lucy frowned.

Juvia, being the strongest one in the group perhaps beside Gray and possibly Braviary, concentrated with her eyes. "No…" She began and felt her strength slightly decrease.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked.

"It didn't work…" She replied and they all looked at her in confusion.

"What's with all that Magical energy?" Gray asked as he suddenly turned back to the Tower of Heaven and frowned. The rest of the Mages eventually turned their heads too. As the smoke cleared Braviary could see better and there was dead silence from everyone on the boat, even from Wally and Millianna.

"That's gotta be the R-System. I never saw it activated." Shô added.

"And Natsu, Erza, Rex, and Simon are all inside that thing." Happy said, and they all wondered about their wellbeing.

* * *

**Era**

"Target hit!" One of the helpers announced.

Org frowned for a moment. "I still think about the lives lost in the blast."

Belno looked at him. "He was going to resurrect Zeref." She said gently. "They had to be sacrificed for the sake of the others."

"I know that." Org replied. "But I doubt the families will."

"Inclement conditions expected to clear in less than 2 minutes!" One of toads declared.

"Checking for any decrease in magical density." Another announced and everyone who was present looked on expectantly as they waited for the smoke amongst other things to clear. The result of Etherion being fired would eventually be seen within the golden ring and for now all they saw was the smoke.

"Wait… there hasn't been a decrease in Magical density!" The announcer cried out in panic. "A mass of Ethernano has been detected in a structured and currently stable… WHAT'S THIS?!" He shouted as the smoke clear to reveal that the tower was now one large crystal structure. A glowing light blue from top to bottom with many spikes coming out it from it. It had completely replaced the previous tower before it.

"The Etherion blast failed?" Org cried out in horror.

"It looks as if the tower absorbed it." Michello added, equally shocked.

Unfortunately for most of the Magic Council if this was a problem then the next one was going to be an even bigger one as the room began shaking and aging suddenly. Cracks began spreading across the ceiling and eventually pieces of rubble began falling and nearly hitting the members unlucky enough.

"It's the work of the Arc of Time Magic!" One of the Council members shouted.

"But that's impossible! It's one of the Lost Magics." Org shouted back and ran forwards as a piece of the rubble almost hit him on the head. By the time he had finished that statement everyone had began to panic and flee no matter where from the slowly collapsing building.

"What have you done Siegrain?" Yajima appeared and demanded of him but was surprised to see the Council Member flicker and disappear. _A Thought Projection? _

He then turned to Ultear and saw three white Seals in between her outstretched hands. "At last, your time has come to open the Gates to Heaven where Zeref awaits you Master Siegrain." She then looked up and ignored Yajima. "Or should I say, Master Jellal?"

_Master Jellal? But if that's true then it means… _Yajima thought and ignored a piece of stone that fell right next to him as he was angry beyond recognition. "What the HELL have you done Ultear?" He demanded angrily.

* * *

**Tower of Heaven**

When Rex realised that he wasn't dead yet he opened his eyes and gasped. All around him was nothing but blue crystals and he was unable to look through. "HOLY ARCEUS WHAT HAPPENED?" He shouted and that got Erza to promptly open her eyes.

Looking around he saw that Jellal had stood back up and chuckled before breaking out into a laugh that was cold and Rex wanted to punch him. "This is the true form of the Tower of Heaven."

"A giant Lacrima?" Rex asked.

"Not quite. A giant Ethernano Lacrima." Jellal answered before turning back to Erza.

"This was a trick, just like last time. Damn you!" Erza shouted, now out of her stupor and was ready to attack him again.

Another voice suddenly joined the three of them. "You know Erza, you were very cute together with Jellal, sharing your last moments. But there were two things wrong with what you did. The first was that Jellal wasn't even at his full power and the more important one was how foolish it was to simply wait for all of the time Etherion needed to fire." It was Siegrain, standing next to Jellal.

_They look identical! No wonder Erza glared hardly at him when I first met Siegrain! _Rex thought with surprise on his face. The Mind Plate was telling him that Jellal was where he and Siegrain stood. _That's impossible! Unless… _Rex waited for his mind to click and he reached a horrible conclusion.

"Would you like to remember when we first met Erza? It was when Makarov had to file a report over the damage you did during one of your S-Class Requests. You saw me and then attacked me because of the face you remembered all those years ago. I was on the floor within seconds and I had to apologise to Makarov for that sudden shock." Siegrain explained and Rex looked at Erza.

"I made a mistake back then, you mistrusted me because of the resemblance. My mistake was to not reassure you in anyway that I was dedicated to bringing down Jellal. Though I doubt it would have made a difference regardless." Siegrain added with a careless shrug.

"It really is a pain to come up with on the spot excuses." Jellal added.

Erza answered him. "Then the two of you must be in it together!"

Rex shook his head slowly in horror. "They aren't working together. Jellal and Siegrain are one and the same." He said quietly, but loud enough for the three (technically now two) of them to here.

Both Jellal and 'Siegrain' looked on in surprise at how Rex figured this out but Jellal quickly had an amused expression on his face. "Aren't you a smart one. I was using a type of Magic known as a Thought Projection." Jellal told him. "Unfortunately when used it cuts my power in half."

"But that won't be a problem any longer." The Thought Projection of Jellal stated before fading slightly and merging with the real one. Jellal closed his eyes and there was a golden aura that surrounded him for a few seconds and Jellal opened his eyes.

"You said you cast off all of those fears against Ikaruga, was all that bluster?" Jellal taunted her.

"What the hell happened to the Magic Council?" Erza asked fiercely.

"Right now the Magic Council are fleeing, courtesy of Ultear. I must say I thank her for her services to me. Foolish woman, she couldn't hate Zeref enough to go to Heaven - unlike you."

Erza looked surprised at this and realised that he had manipulated her along with the Magic Council as well. "You bastard!" She screeched and charged forwards to attack Jellal but he caught her blade and effortlessly threw her on the floor with a blast of golden magic.

"Stand down Erza, I'll deal with this." Rex said calmly but the look he first had upon entering what was the throne room had returned and decided to test out the Dread Plate and there was a flash of black light as he applied it for the first time.

Rex now had short grey hair the spiked upwards in five parts. Three locks of hair fell across his right eye. The middle one was red and the outer two were black. His shirt was black to compliment those locks with the collar reaching halfway up his neck. There were special pads at his shoulder and elbow and they had a red ringed circle on them. Rex also wore a pair of grey pants that had several black rings on the top half and a crimson red ring halfway at the bottom. His shoes were replaced by grey boots with yellow markings on them.

"Seeing your Multitype powers are impressive. But they cannot compare to my Magic!" Jellal stated with confidence and Rex glared back at him.

"Put your money where your mouth is Jellal!" Rex stated calmly before running to him and using Force Palm. Jellal was surprised at how fast he was and saw darkness being draw to his hand. "**Dark Pulse!**" Rex followed it up calmly with an array of dark rings that pounded him and Jellal held out his hand to block it. The blue haired Mage didn't budge an inch from where he was standing however.

Jellal fired several arrows made of golden Magic and Rex summoned a Night Slash to fend them off and redirected each one to him. Jellal almost effortlessly dodged each attack and caught one of them before nullifying it with ease. "Impressive. But you're going to have to do better than that."

"I plan to." Rex responded and glared coolly at Jellal. Then he charged forwards and prepared to use Bite - with his teeth growing to look more like fangs and jumped forwards. But Jellal dodged and put a simple hand on his back, unleashing a burst of golden Magic that was stronger than last time and Rex fell on the floor. He quickly righted himself and ignored the shirt that was smoking a bit.

"Like my Heavenly Body Magic? It can take on the properties of astronomical objects, with powerful results." Jellal grinned and a golden yellow Seal with a star in the middle appeared. "**Heavenly Body Magic: Orion Wave!**" Jellal chanted and three lasers next to each other fired from the Seal at Rex who jumped in the air but they followed him.

"What the-?" He began but they exploded simultaneously and were the only thing heard by anyone.

"Rex!" Erza cried and Jellal ignored her, focusing more on him than anything else.

Rex was in the air and held the broken Night Slash in his hand before letting it dissipate into thin air and created the exact same Seal the Jellal has used. "**Mirror Coat!**" He cried in return and three lasers shot at Jellal, each one being two times stronger than the initial Spell.

Another golden yellow Seal appeared from Jellal's outstretched hand and he fired a single blast of Heavenly Body Magic that collided with the three lasers and one managed to get through much to Jellal's surprise. Luckily for him though it only did a third of the damage it could have done.

"I was expecting a better fight from you. Too bad it has to end this way." Jellal said casually and summoned an orb made of Darkness Magic within his hand. He then threw it at Rex who summoned another Night Slash and sliced the orb in half. Jellal closed his hand and the two halves exploded around him forming a larger orb.

"Damnit!" Rex swore and felt it enclose around him quickly and it was too late to create another sword. It also had a numbing effect on his limbs and within seconds he could only see further than the orb. _Come on now! Discharge! _He thought and lit his whole body up with electricity but it had no effect on the orb.

Jellal watched the several flashes with amusement. "Oh well. Guess that means you're the sacrifice Erza." He said casually and began walking to her. Erza was still too injured from both Ikaruga and their brief fight before Etherion rained down.

Inside the orb Rex could hear everything and then froze for a moment as he heard those words. There was a much clearer voice that spoke and he had no idea of who said it but right now he really didn't care.

"_So you're just going to sit there and let her be used as a sacrifice?_" The voice asked him. It was dry and emotionless.

_I won't let him use her like that! I love her! _Rex thought angrily and didn't stop to think about what he had just said and instead used Nasty Plot to boost his Special Attack by two stages and then used an omnidirectional Heat Wave and his body began glowing red and the orb in response tried to contain it but was slowly being overpowered.

Jellal had just reached Erza's body when he heard the orb crack and quickly turned around to see several orange cracks that were spreading along the orb before it shattered completely and a wave of fire burst out and dissipated almost instantly.

"I won't let you sacrifice her!" Rex shouted and began running forwards with surprising speed but then he froze suddenly when he was a step away from harming the blue haired Mage. "What the hell?" Rex gasped in surprise and Jellal took several steps backwards.

They all saw that a red snake like tattoo was swirling around his body and arms. "A Bind Snake, calibrated to neutralize your powers. Congratulations Rex Vermend. You are going to be the sacrifice that opens the gate to Heaven." Jellal smiled and made a gesture with his hand. From behind Rex, a large crystal, at least a head taller than him and more than wide enough to fit a person in rose up from the ground.

"But that would be impossible, I can't do Magic!" Rex protested, spotting a potential flaw.

Jellal chuckled. "Not a problem. Why do you think I kept it in the Ethernano Converter? It slowly drained away at the energy and transferred it into this tower as Magic Energy so it should have no problem accepting you." He elaborated and pushed Rex backwards into it.

The Guardian was expecting to hit something hard but didn't and felt his body being sucked. _Damn, I need to break free. But this goddamned snake is blocking my power and preventing me from moving. _He thought and tensed his body, part of which was now in the crystal.

"Your body will decompose and then I will command it to reform as the body of Lord Zeref." Jellal continued but heard footsteps from close to him.

It was Erza and she was angry but there was also a tear streaming from one of her eyes. "Stop this Jellal!" She demanded and made a last ditch attack with her sword.

Jellal was almost amused by this reckless attack and caught her sword almost effortlessly before breaking it by firing three small orbs from his hand, also sending Erza sprawling onto her back. "Please stop this… I… I love him!" She admitted and broke down in tears. Half of his body was engulfed in the lacrima but Rex stopped for a moment and was shocked at this sudden admittance.

"I seem to remember a certain someone who used to be friends with me." Jellal responded and his left eye began glowing that strange Z like shape again and promptly ignored her request.

"_Jellal made her cry. Are you gonna stand there and let the crystal destroy you?" _The voice asked again.

_...No. No. I. WON'T! _Rex thought furiously and his body stopped being absorbed slowly by the Lacrima and then he felt himself being dragged out by it.

"What the hell are you playing at Rex?" Natsu Dragneel asked him with a goofy grin on his face, and he looked at Jellal. "I thought you would have finished this creep off right now given the fact that it looks like you have another one of those Plates."

Rex smiled and felt his body heave out and nearly fall to the floor. He felt the Bind Snake had disappeared when he was beginning to get into the Lacrima. "Sorry about that Natsu, this guy is tough. I might actually have had some trouble on my own. Check on Erza, I'm fine." Rex said calmly and Natsu.

Natsu walked over acting like nothing really happened and looked at Erza. "What are you doing lying around like that Erza? Lucy's rent is due and we can't leave without you." He asked casually.

"Natsu…" Erza said, trying not to laugh and managing a weak chuckle, but he could see the tear streaming from her eye. "I can't move."

A sly grin came across his face and Rex raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?" Natsu asked and paused for a moment. "Then I hope you're ready!" He stated and suddenly began tickling her. "This is payback for all the times you hit me!" He grinned.

"Natsu… haha… please… heeheehee… HAHAHAHA!" Erza began laughing despite her protests and Rex shook his head with a look on his face that said everything. It took a few minutes for him to stop and then punched her hard in the gut, knocking her unconscious.

"I thought Erza was part of your Guild." Jellal said, it was a statement.

Natsu felt his fists light up in fire. "Erza was crying, no one should ever being crying. Erza is strong and scary, and I've never seen her depressed like this. Once she wakes up this will all be over!" He shouted.

Rex then glared at Jellal fiercely. "You made her cry Jellal. She is one of the greatest things about Fairy Tail. Like me, I didn't grow up with a mother or father but I still had plenty of people to call family. There is no way you can take that away."

Jellal was amused by the challenged and began glowing a gentle rainbow aura. "Is that a challenge? Even with the supposed power of the god can you fight against my Heavenly Body Magic?" He challenged them.

Outside of the Tower of Heaven the others all quickly caught on to the sudden increase in Magic Power and looked at the tower. "What is that amazing power?" Lucy asked.

"That's gotta be Jellal." Wally replied.

"So then the final battle is starting." Juvia added.

Back inside, Rex sent a telepathic message to Natsu and the Fire Dragon Slayer grinned and began charging forwards with a blazing fists and hit Jellal twice. "**Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!**" Natsu shouted and unleashed two streams of fire in an X formation and pounded Jellal. "**Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!**" He followed this up with an attack from the side and that was Rex's cue.

The Guardian had been charging up his fist and it glowed gold. When Natsu used Sword Horn Rex ran forwards and punched Jellal in the face with Focus Punch and the sheer force of the attack sent him crashing into one of several Ethernano pillars. "**Fire Blast!**" Rex shouted as he let loose a blast of fire shaped like a five pointed star.

Natsu put his fists together and felt his senses enhanced. "**Fire Dragon's Roar!**" He chanted and also attacked with a stream of fire and both attacks created an explosion and the surrounding area was briefly set on fire.

"Your power is commendable." Jellal states calmly and when the fire died down and revealed a battle suit of sorts that was a simple skin-tight sleeveless purple shirt paired with extremely loose blue cargo pants (tucked inside simple boots), which is held up by a pale blue belt, and gloves. "But it won't match the power of my Magic. **Meteor!**" He stated before glowing a golden colour and blasted forwards.

_He's fast! _Rex thought with surprise and then felt Jellal punch him hard in the gut and felt everything blur for a moment and Natsu tried to punch him but Jellal dodged it with ease and then attacked Natsu hard.

Rex then disappeared in a blur with Extremespeed and Jellal was surprised to see Rex matching his speed and got hit by him but that was short lived. "This is only the start." Jellal warned and Rex went to attack but then missed. _He's going faster?! _Rex thought in surprise and was hit by Jellal again.

"**Fire Dragon's Talon!**" Natsu roared and Jellal turned to block his attack. "**Fire Dragon's Roar!**" He followed up with a blast of fire to Jellal's face and he let go of Natsu. He then quickly followed it up with an Iron Fist but Jellal stopped it and then threw Natsu away.

This allowed Rex to charge forwards and use Foul Play to deal some damage before using Faint Attack and disappearing briefly. Jellal used Meteor again to avoid the attack but was caught by surprise when Rex suddenly appeared in front of him and he couldn't dodge it despite increasing the speed of Meteor.

Jellal was thrown at the ground and then turned to see Natsu and Rex using an attack. The former used his Fire Dragon's Iron Fist and the latter attacked with a Thunder Punch. Reacting quickly Jellal used Meteor to avoid being hit and then quickly send Rex into Natsu and they both felt flames and electricity.

"What the hell man?" Natsu growled at Rex.

"Don't blame me!" Rex retorted and they both faced Jellal.

"On second thought, I was hoping for a challenge. But now it's better seeing you two punks ripped to pieces!" Jellal said with a grin

"I won't let you destroy eight years of progress!" Jellal shouted and dashed off to attack Natsu with several punches enhanced by Heavenly Body Magic and then fired a single blast of golden Magic point blank. Natsu grunted in pain as Jellal fired several more blasts of Magic.

Just as he was about to fire another blast of Heavenly Body Magic Rex dashed forwards and caught him out using Sucker Punch. "**Hurricane!**" Rex cried and created a powerful tornado of wind that shot Jellal upwards into the sky.

Jellal righted himself, and felt his nose. Taking note of the blood that came down from it. "You won't be laughing once you see what it means to have real destructive power." He outstretched his hands and seven golden seals all appeared at once shaped in a pattern like that of the Big Dipper.

"**Heavenly Body Magic: Grand Chariot!**"Jellal cried as a white light connected all of the dots before sending seven powerful beams of light at both of them.

_Holy Arceus this is fast, so I got to think fast too. _Rex thought and decided to use Discharge and take advantage of the boost given by Nasty Plot and electricity scattered around the battlefield, most of it hitting the Tower but some of it managed to collide with the Magic spell Jellal had just used and sent yellow shockwaves all over the area. Both Natsu and Rex were swept off of their feet from the force, but both had taken some damage from the Spell.

"I'm impressed that you were able to weaken that Spell. Each orb of magic pack as much punch as a single meteor." Jellal admitted and then looked around as he felt something within the air change. Looking around he saw that there were a number of large cracks in the Ethernano from their fight.

"Hmm, I should be more careful with this thing. Any more damage will cause the Tower to overload, I can already feel the Ethernano beginning to leak out." He muttered out loud and got back down.

Rex smirked then let out a weak chuckle. Taking a small piece of the Ethernano that had been broken amidst all the melee he threw it at Jellal and managed to hit his ankle. He threw another piece and Jellal looked at him in confusion. "We made a mistake? No, it's you who has made the mistake Jellal. Right Natsu?" He asked out loud.

"**Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!**" Natsu shouted loudly and sent the fire bomb directly to the tower underneath him and a pillar of flame erupted.

Jellal frowned for a second. "You're supposed to attack me." He pointed out.

"But wouldn't it be bad if the Tower you worked so preciously on were to be destroyed?" Rex asked with a grin on his face. Jellal instantly switched from confusion to anger as he realised the mistake he had made. "I thought you were aware of their destructive behaviour, but this is ridiculous." Rex carried on with a grin and put a hand on the Ethernano.

_Get up in the air, NOW! _Rex said telepathically to Natsu in an authoritative tone and he agreed and prepared to use another one of his Spells.

"I WON'T LET YOU FOOLS DESTROY MY WORK!" Jellal shouted and then dashed forwards with Meteor and pinned Natsu to a wall before dealing a number of blows that were enhanced with Heavenly Body Magic. All Natsu could see was yellow light flash across but he held on as best as he could.

Getting slowly on two knees, Rex felt the Tower of Heaven from underneath and he arms began glowing a crimson pink colour and white sparks dance around it. "**NIGHT DAZE!**" He roared, almost like a Zoroark and brought them down on the Ethernano in front of him. This resulted in the sound of an explosion being made in conjunction with a dome of dark crimson, pink and red energy expanding rapidly and dealing major damage.

_What was that…? _Erza thought dreamily and woke up to see that Rex and Natsu were still fighting Jellal. She was also just in time to see a dome of energy subside and that Rex had created a crater that was wide but not very deep.

Jellal stopped attacking Natsu the instance he heard Rex and looked around in anger. "YOU PUNKS WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS!" He shouted in anger and charged forwards with Meteor, getting it at maximum speed and ramming him in the stomach. Then he shot a beam of light at Rex and followed it up with a large ball of light.

"**Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!**"Natsu cried and charged forwards surrounded by flame completely but Jellal went back to avoid it and didn't see Rex holding the ball of light in place with Psychic. "RRRRAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Natsu roared and the flames intensified, pushing back Jellal slowly.

The flames were then nullified all of a sudden. "Heads up!" Rex shouted and he made Jellal turn to face him. By that point the ball of light was heading towards not only Jellal but also the Tower of Heaven. Jellal punched Natsu to one side and had enough time to block it.

But he didn't see the Electro Ball Rex had sent afterwards, overloading it and making it explode. Several large cracks were formed in the ground and Jellal was thrown into one of the pillars. Natsu had quickly recovered and began going over towards Erza when the explosion had occurred and was thrown a few feet in front of her.

"Natsu…" Erza muttered quietly. "Rex, please get up."

Rex was lying on his back and looked up, and stood on one knee. "Did we win?" He asked, and felt a strange feeling around him in the air. _Is this what Ethernano feels like?_ He wondered and looked back at Erza, only now remembering what she said earlier on to Jellal.

There was no time for celebration though as Jellal stood up and still had that angry look, but it was a much calmer look combined with a hint of joy on his face. "I WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS! SALAMANDER, GUARDIAN FAIRY - DIE!" Jellal roared and formed an X formation with his arms. A large golden Seal appeared and then there was the feeling of a great amount of Magical Energy being sucked towards the Seal.

This whipped up a vicious wind and all three of them barely had enough energy to resist it. The most alarming part however was that their shadows were going towards the light and that made Rex nervous about what was going to happen. "That spell, it could kill all of us!" Erza realised in desperation.

"Man this thing is making me feel sick!" Natsu complained.

Rex heard it and then managed to get up and walk slowly in front of the two of them, feet firmly apart and planted in the ground. Erza felt a chill run down her spine and she didn't want to think about what was going to happen if it hit. "What are you doing? Get out of the way!" She said.

"Not happen Erza, my body is ready!" Rex grinned and put his hands together.

Jellal stopped for a moment and realised the consequences of it and eased the Spell. The shadows were behind their bodies and the wind had died down a bit.

"I'm your sacrifice aren't I? So what happens if I die?" Rex asked Jellal.

"If you die… that would be problematic. It would have to take someone as strong as a Wizard Saint to act as a sacrifice." Jellal admitted for a moment before continuing to power up the spell and ignore that fact. "But you can be replaced by another person just as willing." He admitted as the black hole expanded.

"What the hell are you doing? You can't get killed like this!" Erza shouted and felt tears streaming down her face. It was going to happen, the one man who managed to make a change to her life was going to die and she couldn't do a thing to stop it.

"Who said anything about getting killed?" Rex replied calmly but didn't face her. He was bracing for what was about to happen and the sheer confidence in his voice startled Erza.

"Die! **Altaris!**" Jellal shouted and fired the black hole straight at Rex who closed his eyes and prepared for the worst.

Then a periwinkle seal appeared and stopped the Spell in it's tracks and the hulking form of Simon appeared suddenly in front of Rex. Then a white light appeared and Altaris exploded in front of everyone's faces.

When it had mostly cleared up though they all saw that Simon was there. "Well… I'm glad I could help… Rex… take care of Erza." He said calmly and his whole body was quivering and then he fell backwards on the floor.

"You idiot! You knew that Spell was dangerous!" Erza cried out as she went to his side and felt the strength leaving her body. Erza was breaking down and crying right in front of them and Jellal only seemed mildly surprised.

"You've always been… gentle." Simon muttered quietly and then closed his eyes with tears of joy coming from them. The last thing he saw was a young Erza calling out his name.

_no… _Rex thought quietly and just stood there, trying to block out the bad memories.

Jellal spoke up. "You were still around Simon? And you chose to foolishly throw it away for nothing." He stated out loud with a smirk on his face.

_No… not again! _Rex thought and closed his eyes in desperation, hoping they would go away but to no avail. The haunting memory of what happened a few years came flooding him back and a single tear managed to escape his eye.

* * *

**Hoenn, 18 months prior**

_A 16 year old Rex Vermend was currently locked in a fierce struggle with the Legendary Pokemon Kyogre and was on his third pokemon. The other two, Braviary and Goodra had fallen to Kyogre's Ice Beam attack, though the latter took several of those attacks before fainting and was currently using his Manectric to calm it down. _

_To make things worse, Kyogre has undergone Primal Reversion and was being somewhat reckless with it's attacks. As soon as Rex had sent Manectric out he quickly had him Mega Evolve in order to make the most out of it's Speed and Special Attack and was doing a surprisingly good job. Deep down Rex knew it was a matter of time though before Manectric would go down too._

"_Good, now use Discharge!" Rex commanded. Having used Charge previously before Manectric unleashed a powerful attack that shocked Primal Kyogre a lot._

_In retaliation however Kyogre used Hydro Pump and sent a powerful spiralling column of water at the pair of them and both Rex and Manectric dived out of the way and they saw it smash into the rocks and obliterate it. _

"_This is the odds we come up against. We gotta make sure that Kyogre doesn't smash us into oblivion." Rex called out to Manectric, but inside felt himself still shaking from the impact. _I said to them I was scared, and still being scared might not be good. _He thought for a moment._

"_Now Charge again!" Rex cried and Manectric began gathering electricity and raised his Special Defense by one stage again. "This time follow it up with Thunder!" He ordered and now thought of the Heavy Rain that Kyogre was making despite it being underground and Manectric used a powerful blast of electricity that couldn't miss._

_Primal Kyogre let out a roar in revenge and fired another Hydro Pump. This time Manectric took it head on and was sent backwards, but Rex noted that it wasn't as much as it should have been in theory. _This is why I am grateful for the fact that Charge also increases Special Defense. _Rex thought and gave a sigh of relief._

"_Careful! Primal Kyogre is still a force to be reckoned with. I couldn't make much of a dent in it with the other two." Rex warned Manectric and the blue and yellow pokemon could not only smell the fear but also the determination._

"_(Don't worry about me. I'll be just fine!)" Manectric said and looked defiantly at the Sea Basin Pokemon. "(But now we could be in trouble.)" He said to himself and they both saw Kyogre using Calm Mind._

"_Damnit. We gotta keep hitting it and hard." Rex swore and realised that the only possible way to do so would be through Charge. "Now, Thunder Charge!" He commanded and Manectric used a Charge and Thunder combination again but they both saw that it didn't do as much damage as they had hoped._

_Primal Kyogre was undeterred and began summoning multiple orbs of water that began glowing bright, similar to the light that was shining off of the Legendary Pokemon. _

"_WATCH OUT!" Rex shouted and Manectric braced himself. _

_Primal Kyogre fired the Origin Pulse at them and Rex had to focus as the orbs that didn't hit Manectric would also hit him and he narrowly avoided one of them. As he looked at it he felt time go slowly, only taking a few minute to observe the admittedly beautiful orb of water. Unfortunately the one right next to it hit him and Rex was thrown back and stayed there for a few minutes._

"_(REX!)" Manectric cried and dashed over faster than Kyogre could ever register. Seeing the Pokemon go to it's trainer in spite of the battle seemed to make it pause for a moment._

_Rex slowly got up and put a hand to his stomach, then pulled it back quickly and sucked in breath. "I'm okay… it stings though." He admitted grudgingly. "Focus Manectric!" He said then turned back to Kyogre. "Now Wild Charge Charge!" _

_This time after using Charge Manectric dashed forwards and was surrounded by blazing blue electricity as he went to physically attack Kyogre. Upon seeing the imminent threat the Sea Basin Pokemon fired another round of Hydro Pump but missed Manectric who dodged it with ease and then decided to use Ice Beam. Rex ducked as it nearly froze a part of his head and saw the line of ice it created behind him. "Keep going!" He cheered._

_Manectric leapt on several of the rocks and nearly got Body Slammed by Kyogre and ended up hitting Kyogre hard on the head. The lack of Attack was made up for Charge again and Kyogre was shocked with blue electricity and this did more damage than Thunder would normally have done. Kyogre hit Manectric head on with Hydro Pump and sent him flying backwards next to Rex._

"_Oh no! Are you OK?" He asked and was ready to get a Hyper Potion out but Manectric growled sharply at him and Rex put his hands up in defeat. Despite Manectric's loyalty, he didn't like the use of items in battle unless it was a Mega Stone and was often reckless when Rex wanted him to think. "If you think you can do it then fine but don't blame me if you go down as well." Rex pointed out clearly._

_They both turned to face Primal Kyogre again and this time the Legendary Pokemon used Origin Pulse. Remembering what had happened last time Rex dove on the floor as Manectric dashed out of the way again and the Pokemon was glad Kyogre couldn't raise its speed. Dashing around Manectric used Wild Charge again and hit Kyogre from the sides twice before returning to his Trainer and red sparks flashed from the recoil. Manectric panted several times and tried to calm himself down and focus on Kyogre._

"_This is why I should use a Potion." Rex muttered out loud. _

_Kyogre used Calm Mind again and Manectric used Charge before trying to attack again with Thunder this time but Kyogre shrugged it off and used Ice Beam. "Manectric wait!" Rex cried out and felt something cold spread along the bottom half of his right leg. Looking down in horror he saw that it had frozen a path towards his right legs, but Rex knew that it was out of control and likely didn't realise what it was doing._

_Manectric went to free him from the ice but Rex stopped him. "Don't worry about me. We got a legendary to defeat." Rex said calmly, acting as if that wasn't going to be much of a problem._

_Manectric growled in disagreement but eventually turned back to face the member of the Hoenn Weather Trio and then used Howl to raise it's Attack before readying another Wild Charge and was met by the green shield that was Protect and began preparing another Origin Pulse._

"_GET OUT OF THERE! IF IT HITS-!" Rex shouted in desperation._

_Realising that he was right, Manectric dashed as quickly as he could but saw that the Origin Pulse wasn't heading for him and dashed over to o the only thing he could ever do._

_Upon seeing the Origin Pulse coming towards him Rex closed his eyes and began counting in his head when he heard the sounds of an explosion ring out right in front of him. Opening his eyes slowly he saw the shaking form of Manectric, reared up as if going to attack. He dropped down to all fours and began panting for a moment before falling onto one side and devolving into his normal form._

_Rex then was silenced with realisation setting and then the ice miraculous. "Man… ectric…" He said before breaking into tears and dropping onto his knees. "No… not now, not you too." He muttered before yelling out "MANECTRIC!" and falling on his body. Around his neck hung the necklace with a picture of his parents and it was pressed against the Pokemon's body. It was warm against the cold._

"_(Hah… what a baby…)" Manectric sneered gently but was smiling at him. "(Still… three… left…)" He managed before letting out his last breath and closing his eyes gently._

_Kyogre was observing the scene in front of itself and although the Legendary Pokemon didn't have a Trainer it seemed to understand the bonds between the Trainer and the Pokemon in that instant and stopped it's rampage. Rex looked up and wiped his eyes to see a golden blue glowing emanating from the pokemon as it slowly returned to normal. The look on Kyogre's face was enough for him to understand that he was sorry._

"_I gotta go. Hopefully one day…" Rex choked up and managed a slight smile. "We'll see each other. I'll forgive you, but I cannot forget what happened." He said quietly. It was the only sound made in the chamber and Kyogre acknowledged this with a low screech coming from it. Raising it's head, Kyogre fired a Hydro Pump to make an exit before going below the surface._

* * *

**Present Day**

"_You remember that day then? Use the negative emotions you felt then and combine it with now! Unleash me Rex Vermend!" _The dry voice urged.

Jellal began laughing hard. "That was a very foolish thing to do Simon! All that effort only to die in vain." Jellal shouted with amusement and began laughing again.

Rex snapped back to reality and created a Night Slash, except this one was larger by about a third and his eye flared with anger. "SHUT UP!" He yelled, delivering a powerful upwards attack at him, the force of which sent him flying into one of the Ethernano pillars. Everyone turned towards him and saw a black aura gathering around him. "**You monster! Laughing at someone who gave his life for a friend!**" He shouted and his voice overlapped with another, more sinister one.

"**You'll pay for that JELLAL!**" Rex screeched and was surrounded by an orb of darkness with a red outline. Everyone felt a strange energy spike along with it and a two red ring circle it as well. When it faded it sent out a shockwave and when everyone saw what Rex had become, Jellal felt a small prick of fear.

Rex now had bright blue eyes, silver hair that was practically a mirror image of Natsu's and his whole body gained some muscle mass. The back half was mainly a dark grey colour with large light gray diamonds along the middle ending at the wrists, which were also dark grey at the back. His fingers were also that same dark grey but looked more like claws. The palms as well as the front of his body were mostly red, but there were also black lines that split into several when they got closer to the wrists and feed into his claw like fingers. This also persisted into his legs and feet, which were slightly shorter than his arms and looked more like talons. Rex also had a tail that still continued this red and grey trend but it didn't bother him. Around his neck was a thick light grey ruff that spiked backwards.

Beneath his feet a dark red cloud appeared _in _the Ethernano and it was quickly spreading out. Within seconds, everyone who wasn't dead was looking around in awe at how both beautiful and terrifying it looked because it was also an indication of how severely pissed off Rex was.

Outside the Tower, everyone including Braviary was watching it awe as they felt the strange turn of events take place. "Why is the R-System turning red?" Gray asked, confused.

"And what's with this creepy feeling?" Lucy whimpered and clung on to him as he was the nearest one.

"If anyone gets to hug Gray it has to be me!" Juvia cried out and attacked Lucy, pulling her away. This made the boat rock and they almost fell into the water.

"Watch what yer doing you crazy gal!" Wally burst out angrily.

"EVERYONE!" Braviary screeched loudly and Millianna covered her ears as she had the fortune of sitting next to the Valiant Pokemon. "We just have to hope that whatever the red Tower means is good for us. Besides, I doubt the R-System is active at this point."

"And why is that?" Shô asked calmly.

Braviary then gave a cunning smile, the first smile anyone had seen him with since they got onto the boat. "Call it instinct." He said mysteriously.

Back in the Tower, Jellal was unconcerned when seeing Rex looking different. "So this is the same type of transformation that you underwent against Jose? Do you think that will make a difference?" He asked mockingly.

"Oh I will." Rex replied from behind and Jellal looked around. It was too late to see him as his hands became infused with darkness and performed an X attack and sent Jellal flying across the area into another pillar.

_That speed is impossible! _Jellal thought with shock and activated his Meteor spell, heading straight towards a seemingly unperturbed Rex with a smug grin on his face. It became shock again when he passed through it and it faded. _An illusion?_

"Surprised?" Rex asked from in front of him when he stopped.

Jellal's response was to fire a blast of golden energy directly at him.

"That hurt really badly." Was the sound of his voice from behind a shield that was made using his enlarged arms. Jellal could see that it was the opposite and a pink aura began surrounding Rex.

"**Meteor!**" Jellal cried and blasted off in a streak of golden energy. _Even when using this Spell, he cannot catch up me. _He thought and let himself relax as he tried to rush the Guardian Fairy who was standing still again.

"**Payback.**" Rex said in an icily calm tone and attacked Jellal but missed and spun around then unleashed a wave of pink energy that hit Jellal hard and he fell to the floor.

"No… I actually feel pain." Jellal said after getting up but nearly tripping himself in the process. "How the hell did a punk like you hurt me?" He spat with an angry glare on his face.

"Yeah man! I want in on the action too!" Natsu said angrily, though it was tinged with impatience as well.

"Natsu, stand down." Rex replied in an icily calm tone and that terrified Natsu. Facing Jellal, he answered that question. "Simple. Yveltal powers up Dark moves by a significant amount." He smiled eerily in a way that was not unlike Ikaruga. "If that is all you have Jellal…" He began.

"No! Zeref spoke to me, and I followed his every word down to the letter. I cannot lose!" Jellal yelled and extended both hands again, preparing another Spell and the same seven Seals appeared earlier. "**Grand Chariot!**" Jellal shouted and fired them all at Rex who looked unperturbed.

Rex glided fast but casually in between the seven orbs of Magic and let them all pound the floor really hard and was at Jellal. "**Foul Play!**" He shouted and punched Jellal hard in the stomach, sending him flying through a pillar and it fell beautifully to the floor.

_Incredible. _Erza thought. _I would not have expected such ferocity in his attacks. This Legendary Forme… it feels different to the others, something feels off about it._

"Come on Jellal! I've only just started." Rex sneered and used Thunderbolt right next to him. Jellal was shocked badly by a lot of electrical energy. After that came a powered up Dark Pulse that made him flinch and then Rex used Heat Wave and Jellal felt his whole body slowly being burned.

Jellal fell to the floor. "I thought you wanted to go to a false Heaven!" Rex carried on, blue eyes glowing. "Oh wait… you can't!" He grinned in a sadistic way but his love for Erza was stopping him from doing some really serious damage. Then Jellal charged forwards with Meteor right in the stomach and let go of Rex when he was near pillar and followed it up with a point blank blast of Heavenly Body Magic.

"That… winded me… more than... anything." Rex admitted and gently had both hand over his stomach.

Jellal was shocked at him still standing more than anything. "I won't let a punk like you stop me from entering Heaven and obtaining true freedom!" He declared and began jumping up the crystals until he was high in the air. Then his moved his hands wide outstretched and a large obsidian Seal appeared with great amounts of Magic energy gathering around it.

"That Seal is the Abyss Break!" Erza said in surprise.

"True freedom Jellal? BY TAKING AWAY OTHERS LIVES?" Rex shouted as he spread out his arms and formed a Y by moving his legs together. The red parts at the end of the tail and hands began to glow and it spread along slowly until it reached the center. "True freedom is letting people do what they want and not enslaving them!" Rex responded and he jumped into the air and flew until he was 10 feet away from Jellal.

"What are you doing?!" Erza demanded fearfully, as her main worry was Rex doing something reckless.

Jellal grinned as he thought he had won but then he felt the aftermath of one of Erza's attacks and the pain suddenly flashed through him. _No, not now! I'M TOO CLOSE! _He thought desperately.

"Yveltal is the Pokemon of death, destruction, whichever one you prefer. So I'll show you a reason to fear it." With this statement a crimson red orb with a small white center appeared in his outstretched hand. "**Legendary Signature Arts - Oblivion Wing!**" He screeched and fired a large beam of crimson red and white energy that engulfed Jellal.

"AAAAAAHHHH!" Jellal cried out and recoiled from the attack as it drained away at his remaining stamina. Firing the Oblivion Wing also made the red colour of the Tower of Heaven disappear and return to its normal shining blue self Jellal was sent crashing through several layers and the combination of that and Oblivion Wing knocked him clean unconscious and fell down on the Lacrima.

Rex landed and was granted 75% of the damage dealt back to him as health and he took several deep breaths before returning to the Dread Plate and then no Plate. He walked slowly and calmly to Erza. "It's alright Erza… you can rest… in peace…" Rex muttered before falling over unconscious.

"Rex!" Natsu shouted out and ran. "You can't just go out on me like that man!" Rex didn't respond but he smiled in acknowledgement. Natsu then shook him and pounded him on the ground several times unexpectedly.

"That's enough Natsu!" Erza demanded and then knocked him out in one hit by accident. "Oops." She said and looked round at how serene this place was in spite of everything that just happened. _Rex… thank you. I understand now why doing it on my own was something you considered dangerous and wrong. Thanks to you… _She thought and then was interrupted by a loud explosion sound and a piece of the Lacrima from overhead fell down.

This was followed by a blob of Lacrima appearing some distance away to her and the ground split apart. Erza turned round and saw Simon's body, and a tear came down to her eye as she realised she couldn't save her friend. More large chunks of Lacrima fell down from above and heaving Rex's body over her left shoulder she picked up Natsu with her right hand and carried on.

Erza didn't get very far though as another explosion threw her off of her feet and she looked around. Several more semi solid blobs appeared and she realised what was happening. _The Ethernano is overloading due to the damage from the intense battles. I can't get out at this rate, which means that the only way to do so would be… _She trailed off and almost subconsciously dropped both bodies onto the floor.

"I'm sorry Rex." She said quietly and took several steps and faced the large blob of Ethernano. Erza cautiously placed a hand on it and after a few seconds it sunk in with no indication of pain coming from it. "Good, I was wondering if it would reject me." She let out a sigh of relief and carried on until most of her arm was engulfed.

Beside her she ignored Rex waking up and yawning. _I should use Oblivion Wing more often. _He thought and turned to see was Erza was doing and was visibly shocked. _Natsu, wake up! _He shouted telepathically and the dragon slayer opened his eyes and looked at Rex in a strange way.

"What the hell are you doing Erza?!" Rex demanded as she was now halfway there and she froze as they both looked at her in shock.

"I won't leave without you!" Natsu shouted and looked at Erza in disbelief.

"If the Tower were to explode, then it could easily wipe out half the continent. It's why I have to do it." She admitted and didn't look at them directly. It was in that minute in which Rex formulated a plan based on what Jellal had told both of them.

"_Your body will decompose and then I will command it to reform as the body of Lord Zeref." Jellal continued but heard footsteps from close to him._

Rex then slowly pulled Erza out of the semi-solid Ethernano Lacrima and steeled himself for what was about to happen and calmly looked at Erza. "Everything will be okay. I have a plan." He said calmly, and appeared to relax. "First I need you to look at me." He added and she turned to face him.

As soon as she did Rex laced his gaze with Hypnosis to make her unconsciously agree with him and not resist. "First you should calm down. Since when have I ever let you down?" He asked with a fake grin on his face and Erza nodded slowly. Seeing how that worked, Rex increased its strength by a third. "Sleep Erza, don't worry about me. I can handle it." He assured her. For a moment, it looked as if she was going to fight it but then she closed her eyes.

Natsu had a serious look on his face as he now held Erza's body in his hands. "I know what you're going to do." He said and Rex didn't know if he should be surprised or impressed that the flaming idiot figured it out. "You better make us a promise."

"And what might that be?" Rex asked, a neutral look on his face.

"If you die here you'll break her heart. For Erza's sake, DON'T DIE!" Natsu shouted out those last two words.

"Of course I won't die Natsu, I'm the Guardian Fairy remember. I may have a bit of an ego but I always think about the greater good. Besides, I always have a plan remember?" Rex answered calmly then took off his belt and handed it to Natsu. "Keep this, in case I don't make it."

Rex then put a hand on his head. "I'm going to teleport you to the boat." He said out loud and mentally searched for the location of the others. After a moment he found it and put a hand on Natsu's head, and then the Dragon Slayer along with the unconscious form of Erza disappeared in flash of light.

Outside the Tower of Heaven everyone was watching and waiting as they saw the red light fade away followed by a crimson beam of Oblivion Wing and now they were watching as the tower began it's self destruction. Braviary was trying to focus, but the worrying of the others close to him made it hard.

"What's taking them so long?" Juvia pondered.

"Seriously, if they don't get out then the Tower is gonna go capisce!" Wally said with a slight fear in his voice. "The Ethernano inside is overblowing itself."

"Don't you mean overloading?" Lucy asked and she sweatdropped slightly.

Gray was also trying to concentrate and was beginning to lose his patience. "Could you all keep it down please? I want to try and know what happened here." He said a touch testily.

Braviary was about to argue then felt a strange presence within his mind and turned around. "Make space on the middle, squawk!" He added and despite the seemingly odd command they obeyed and made room in the middle. In a flash of pinkish light Natsu and an unconscious Erza appeared.

"Natsu!" Happy cried and tears of joy streamed down his face.

"What's going on over there?" Lucy asked.

"Why the heck isn't Rex here?" Braviary asked and braced himself for the worst.

"Yeah and what ain't Simon here too Salamander?" Wally demanded.

"I… I…" Natsu said and then his face turned green and he fell over onto Gray and on top of Erza, rocking the boat. "I can't take it anymore!" Natsu whined.

"Are you serious?!" Lucy and Gray shouted at the same time, and Juvia hissed at Lucy.

Braviary took charge before things descended into further chaos. "ENOUGH!" He screeched loudly and they all turned to him. "Look, start by moving Natsu to the other end of the boat otherwise this thing will capsize." After doing as they told the boat evened out and Braviary paused for a moment, picking up a clean part of the belt with his beak.

"If Natsu and Erza have returned we can safely say that Rex has beaten Jellal." Braviary stated and no one argued. "But if that is the case then why didn't he come along as well?" He asked, waiting for any answer.

Gray began thinking for a moment. _Jellal stated that the R-System needed a sacrifice, but if that's the case then… _He thought and came to a horrible conclusion. "He's going to try and stop the explosion from killing all of us." Gray said out loud.

"What, but he ain't gonna be able to! It's too much for him!" Wally responded and Braviary jumped at him, making him scared.

"Don't EVER say that. Rex knows what he's doing." Braviary challenged, daring for the polygon shaped man to argue with him.

"If that's the case then we can't do much except hope for the best." Juvia noted and felt uncomfortable with that.

Back inside the Tower of Heaven Rex was looking round with a calm look in his face and he put a hand on the semi solid Lacrima that Erza had done just a few minutes earlier. It took a while longer and Rex thought for a moment that it would reject him but was surprise and relieved to find that it was accepting him and closed his mouth, waiting to see if it was water. WHen he couldn't hold his breath anymore his opened his mouth…

...and nothing filled it. "That was my greatest fear, not dying but drowning." Rex muttered to himself and felt the sparks of the Ethernano and chuckled. "It tickles!" He joked half heartedly, noting how he could feel all of the energy contained within the Tower of Heaven. _Wow, I never expected there to be so much. This will hurt a lot. _He thought.

"Okay, let's do this. Energy cannot be destroyed Erza, but it can be changed into a different kind of energy." He said out loud even though no one was going to listen.

* * *

**Spear Pillar**

No one except the two dragons, and the lake trio who had watched the whole battle thanks to Palkia creating an image and calling it OriginTV (™), much to the annoyance of Dialga. "He's gonna do it." Dialga announced to the others who had been watching.

For some reason a sixth Legendary had entered and decided to join in on watching the action. This pokemon was mostly cream, save for the V shaped forehead and two large, blue and undeniably cute eyes. This was Victini, from Unova, and she was a ball of neverending energy much to the annoyance of Palkia and Dialga.

"NOOOO! WHOEVER YOU ARE PLEASE DOOOOOON'T!" Victini wailed childishly. Childish is what most of them think about her. A child with too much energy to spare.

"Should I paralyze her Uxie?" Mesprit asked. Even Mesprit could only keep up with Victini for so long.

"No not yet." Uxie shook his head. "Victini please calm down. The noise is one thing we could do without, it might attract a Trainer who is after you." He told the Victory Pokemon calmly and Victini stopped and calmed down a lot in fear of a Trainer.

"When you've finished, please!" Dialga said impatiently.

* * *

**Tower of Heaven**

_To me. _Rex thought in a calm voice and felt several sparks flash near him before a mist appear and he felt the Magic Energy from the Ethernano come towards him through his whole body. _So this is what it's like. To feel Magical Energy. I can sense all the people on the boat much better now. The body with next to nothing is Braviary of course. _He thought and let out a small giggle.

"It really does tickle!" Rex grinned and was then shocked as a torrent of Ethernano came flooding all at once and would have been driven to his knees if he didn't use Oblivion Wing. _Come on, focus! I know it's starting to hurt. But I have to do it for Erza._ He thought and grounded his teeth and tried to stand up and ensure that the energy wouldn't tear his body apart.

Back outside, Erza let out a slight groan. This attracted everyone's attention and they all faced her quietly, including Braviary. "What's going on?" She slurred, but she wasn't drunk. Just worn out a lot.

"ERZA!" Cheered Lucy, Happy, Millianna and Juvia.

"Hiya dollface." Wally grinned, but it wasn't his usual grin. It felt deflated as if there was something worse.

Shô asked her a question. "Where's Simon?"

"Simon?" Erza replied and though for a moment.

"_You've always been… gentle." Simon muttered quietly and then closed his eyes with tears of joy coming from them. The last thing he saw was a young Erza calling out his name._

She bit her lip and closed her eye then looked round, hoping to divert the question. "Where's Rex?" She asked and panic set in.

Shô realised that something bad had happened, otherwise she would have answered his question. "No… not Simon. It can't be possible." He muttered and Wally and Millianna were both displaying looks of shock and horror.

Braviary shuffled awkwardly on his perched area. "That's the tricky part… Rex is still there in the Tower." he answered, having moved the belt over his head and silently signalled Gray, Lucy and Juvia who all caught on to what he was referring too.

"What…?" Erza said quietly and began thinking for a moment.

"I can feel the energy from Tower moving!" Happy pointed out and they saw that the tower was looking more like a mixture of bright and darker blues. A moment later they could all see a flash of light in one particular spot.

"It's going straight into him." Braviary surmised.

Erza then realised in an instant that he was going to take all of the energy and hope to neutralise it. "YOU CAN'T DO IT REX!" She exploded and everyone jumped, but Braviary was the only one to fall in the water. "THAT'LL KILL YOU!" Erza then tried going after Rex but the three Mages that Braviary had signalled too all held Erza down.

_Gotta… keep… going… _Rex thought and began to feel dizzy from all the Ethernano that was building in his body and felt his vision fade several time. Using Calm Mind first he managed to focus and then followed this up by using Haze, clearing his stat changes. _Coulda let them reset on their own but I won't take chances._

_This is all for you Erza. Don't struggle or cry any more okay? You have so many good friends at Fairy Tail, you actually had an even bigger relationship with me._ Rex thought with a grin and could still feel energy from the Tower entering his body but the rate at which it entering his body was slowing down and that was an indication it was nearly over.

"Just a bit more… perfect." Rex said with a grin. Letting a fraction of the power was enough to completely shatter the blob he was encased and Rex stood there, eyes glowing the same blue as Ethernano and his body being surrounded by a bright light he knew what was to be done and flew out of the Tower via levitation and broke through it with ease and then began scaling the Tower.

"I think I see him!" Braviary noted and pointed out the bright light.

"I can't! This light is making things impossible to see." Lucy complained.

"No, no PLEASE DON'T!" Erza begged but Rex couldn't hear her. She couldn't bear losing someone else.

Shô looked on with confusion. "Sister? What's wrong? Why are you…?" He was asking too many questions as once and felt his confusion increase.

Rex flew in a circle around the Tower, getting higher and higher. When he was near the top he felt his body jerk suddenly. _Oh no, the Ethernano is becoming unstable. I can hold it in a little longer. I just have to get further and further away! _He thought with unparalleled determination in his life. The only other time Rex had this sort of determination was when before battling the Unova Champion Alder.

Rex didn't know how high he had flown but guess it was quite a distance as the Tower of Heaven looked like the size of a Pokeball and he could hear nothing from down there. _From up here, everything looks so beautiful and peaceful._ Rex thought and felt his body flinch again from the Ethernano and felt himself unleash a small burst of it and to the boat down below it looked like the light was blinking.

_I can't. Why can't I do it? _Rex thought in frustration and then closed his eyes. _Each time I close them I see one face. Erza's face. But… that's impossible, isn't it? _Rex opened his eyes again and he was shocked. _I do, to think otherwise would be a lie. I felt it first during our battle against Jose and those feelings opened up more during our time at Akane, and I came to understand them in light of what's just happened_

_After being kidnapped and enslaved, watching Grandpa Rob die and having Jellal changed I thought I could hide those emotions underneath my armor. But as it turns out, Rex was set to change that with the incredible risks he took, such as taking on Jupiter then a member of the Element Four and right afterwards fight Jose. _Erza thought. _Why was it that could act this brave in spite of the situation? The answer is simple: because he doesn't hide those emotions in spite of losing his family and a close friend. He got fed up of crying while I never really stopped. _She admitted to herself and had another flashback.

* * *

**With Porlyusica almost eight years ago**

It was a while after joining Fairy Tail, and now that Erza was dressed more appropriately. Makarov had decided that it was time to fix her eye and took her to Porlyusica. "That's a nasty wound you have there." She admitted, thinking carefully. "Fixing your eye won't be an easy task."

"Oh don't be like that now!" Makarov said in a thinly disguised attempt to cheer her up. "She's got a pretty face, it would be a shame if she only saw out of one eye for the rest of her life." Erza didn't do anything but stare blankly ahead.

Porlyusica then grabbed Makarov by an ear and yanked on it hard. "You should wash your mouth Makarov! I hope you keep your hands of the girl when she's older." She said in a quiet tone and glared at him.

"O-Of course… not that I ever meant it that way." Makarov muttered.

"Where'd she come from anyway?" Porlyusica asked, and looked at Erza.

"According to her it was Grandpa Rob." Makarov replied.

Porlyusica turned to him abruptly. "You mean our Rob?! What happened to him?" She asked quickly.

Makarov sighed and shook his head. "Dead, I'm afraid." He said with a genuine sigh of regret.

After what seemed like a long time in her hut she fixed up Erza's eye and began unravelling the bandage around her face. "You can look now." Porlyusica told her and she handed Erza a mirror. Erza displayed shock at seeing her with both eyes, so soon after losing it at the R-System. "How is it."

"It's… beautiful…" Erza responded.

"Good, then you can get out of here soon. I can't stand being around humans other than myself." She admitted, but then stopped as she saw only the left eye crying. "You're right eye, there aren't any tears from it." She pointed out suddenly and Erza looked closer to realize that was true. Porlyusica then went to consult the book she used to heal her eye. "I'm not sure what went wrong. I followed it down to the letter." She said out loud.

Erza shook her head. "It's okay." She replied to a surprised Porlyusica. "I've already shed half my tears."

* * *

**Present Day**

_Now I understand more and I couldn't despair at the thought of losing him too. _Erza said and found herself crying out of both eyes when she touched her right cheek.

Rex used Endure as he felt the Magical energy deteriorate further. "This one is for you, **ERZA!**" He bellowed at the top of his lungs and unleashed all of the stored energy, creating a shockwave in the sky and was suddenly surrounded by light blue energy that light up the sky more than all the fireworks in the Akane Resort combined.

"**REX!**" Erza cried out in reply, having seemingly heard what he said. They all saw a big ball of blue energy in the air that was about the same size as the the sun looked in the sky. They saw the tower collapsing from the force. It spread out and downwards into the sea, where they would sink to the bottom.

The Magical energy kept rushing out and Rex felt as if his body was torn apart by the sheer force of it. It was too much effort to just groan about the pain. _But I… h… dure… _He thought, and couldn't really think much anymore. It took a full 3 minutes for all the energy to be released from his body to acceptable levels "I… did…" Was all he said before he began falling down towards the sea.

"Squawk! Take cover!" Braviary cried out as they all saw another large wave approaching them and it would have swamped them with water had it not been for the quick thinking of Juvia who protected them all with her Water Dome spell and they all felt wet. "Dammit Juvia, I lost track of him but I need to go out! I'm fit and ready to fly, cacaw!" Braviary insisted.

Juvia didn't try to argue as she had no idea of how much the large Eagle like creature had recovered so she made one side of the Water Dome weaker and he ploughed through it in time to make out a trail of smoke and see a splash of water several hundred yards away.

Rex felt his body convulse as it hit the water and he slowly sank down. _It's nice and cool. Just what I need after a row of hot battles. _He thought and silently chuckled at the way it looked. Opening his eyes slightly he saw an image of Jellal, but this felt like the Jellal Erza knew.

"I want to thank you Rex for what you did. Now it feels like a great weight has been lifted." Jellal said.

_But… what happened? _Rex thought, unable to speak or use telepathy.

"I wish I knew. But I know that one day we may meet again." Jellal admitted. "I've hurt Erza, and really badly. But she has a second chance thanks to what you've done. Promise me you'll protect her from now on okay?" He said before fading.

_Wait, Jellal! I promise… but… I want to know… can I… save… you… _Rex thought and felt himself lying down. He knew in that instant he had hit the floor and smiled and his vision faded to back, with the last thing he saw being a small black speck coming from up near the top.

* * *

**Oh wow, that chapter went on for longer than expected! I mean seriously I don't keep a count in my head and the thing is telling me I've done 14K words on this chapter! So this is the closing chapter for the Tower of Heaven arc, and what did you think about the fights?**

**Next time on Guardian Fairy - HOME**


	21. HOME

**Holy smokes! 100 review barrier broken! *celebrates with a cheer* and also looking at the year ahead… it'll be tough for me outside of writing such a great story like this. Quick question - did anyone play Emotion from Pokemon BW after Rex teleports Erza and Natsu away? Because it's really fitting. Matt, Jellal was presumed to have perished but never actually did.**

**Previously on Guardian Fairy -**

At the Tower of Heaven Jellal revealed to be seemingly under the possession of Zeref and was being manipulated all along after being struck down by Erza, but it turned out to be a ruse after Etherion was fired. In the presence of Rex, who now had the Dread Plate, who then took over Erza and fought Jellal. It was then revealed that Rex was to be the sacrifice but he was saved by Natsu and the two of them teamed up to defeat Jellal. In spite of the damage done to him and the Tower they were still not close to actually defeating him as he prepared a Spell that killed Simon.

This triggered a violent reaction from Rex who assumed the Forme of Yveltal to defeat Jellal. After that they had to deal with the collapse of the Tower. Erza intended to sacrifice herself but Rex convinced her there was another way - that he would take the bullet for her instead.

* * *

**Chapter 21 - HOME**

Rex groaned and slowly opened his eyes. There was pain shooting all through his body, though on the bright side it was slowly fading away. "Oww… that really hurt." He complained and closed his eyes abruptly due to the light that was shining in his eyes and shielded them for several seconds before slowly opening them again. "Eh?" He asked after his eyes adjusted and he felt like he wouldn't be blinded.

Around him was a small town, with small roads and several buildings though not of any particular theme. Also along with it was a main road and a plaza area and he could see several people of different ages along with some Pokemon there too. A few Lillipup were playing with some of the children along with a Patrat that was tiring out.

"I know this place! I'm in Accumula Town, and I visited here not long after becoming Champion before heading off to Hoenn." Rex recognized then took note of the way things were playing out and being slightly disturbed by it. It was almost in slow motion and the colouring looked slightly off. "This is a memory, right? Or am I dead?" He frowned.

Racking his brain for a minute he remembered the last thing that had happened to him. "OH! I took the force of the Tower exploding and fell in the water where I met Jellal…" He paused for a few minutes before feeling sad. "Then I must be dead. Erza…" Then biting his tongue he tried to walk around and go anywhere, hoping to get noticed.

_I can't see my reflection. But looking down, it appears that I have returned to my looks pre-meeting Arceus. Damn… I really am dead aren't I? _Rex thought bitterly and focus on listening to the surrounding area which had changed. It fell completely silent and it now looked deserted, but all he could do was explore for any sort of clue as to what happened. The one thing that didn't looked distorted was the doors to the Pokemon Centre and realised it was the only place to go.

As he got closer to the door there was the appearance of something strange on the doors. They looked unlike any Pokemon that Rex had seen previously but one thing they all had in common was the appearance of a single eye in the centre. _These have a strange resemblance to… letters? _Rex thought and was confused by them for a second.

The Pokemon Centre doors opened automatically and there was bright shining light coming from it. Narrowing his eyes, Rex stepped forwards and what he had just seen was pushed back into his mind and the memory of it would change soon.

* * *

**Magnolia Town**

When he stepped through he realised that he was back in Magnolia Town. "I did make it after all! Was I hallucinating then?" He asked himself and looked up to see that it was raining. Becoming quiet again, Rex remembered the last time it had rained normally was not long before Phantom Lord attacked when he was at Kardia Cathedral with Mirajane.

Then there was another thing he found to be really odd. It was raining but he couldn't feel it and a sense of dread came over him slowly. It only increased when he heard what a few of the people said from the canal below him. "Did you hear? The Fairy Tail Guild have gathered at Kardia Cathedral in mourning?" One of them asked.

"Yeah I heard about that. It was because one of their most recent members had died a few days ago." The other one replied. "I forgot what his name was but apparently within his first week of staying there he hit the headlines faster than you can say Salamander!"

Rex slumped in realisation at what that meant. He did indeed die after he had made that decision to stop the Tower of Heaven from destroying everyone he had cared about. Knowing where to go he quickly ran towards Kardia Cathedral and figured since he was dead no one could see him and that meant he was a ghost. _Don't think about that. I gotta go to the funeral and see how everyone reacted. _He thought.

Rex tried to change into the Sky Plate but found out that he couldn't do that. It wasn't that he wanted to run, he was quite fast on his own, it's just that flying gave him a new sense of freedom he never dreamed about. But back to running, and he went the quickest way he thought was possible and managed to make it there.

He saw that the entire guild except for Makarov was wearing black clothing, even Gray and Lucy were wearing them. Mirajane was crying into her sleeve, with her brother Elfman comforting her gently. He also saw Juvia there too and was not obsessing over Gray - a sight made more spectacular because of the fact that she and Lucy were holding hands together and trying not to tear up.

Across from the group he was shocked to see Laxus there as well, given the attitude he had possessed and Mystogan was there, hiding in the shadows more so to not be seen. As far as he could tell there was no sign of the person known as Gildarts.

To the left side of the group stood all the Pokemon Rex had taken with him to Fiore and realised that the others he left at Hoenn would have no idea that he was dead - they would simply be agonized and worried over the fact that their Trainer had seemingly abandoned them. Goodra and Greninja would take it worst of all, because they were long time friends and were both there with him when he triumphed and won the Unova League.

"Everyone… I'm sorry, I just couldn't let that thing explode and kill those nearby." Rex muttered.

Looking at the grave itself the top part was shaped like a pokeball and was made of a smooth stone and it resembled the grave in Mt. Pyre for Manectric. behind it stood a stone statue of him with a confident smile on his face.

**REX VERMEND**

**X7? - X784**

**A TRUE GUARDIAN OF FAIRY TAIL**

"Today we mourn." Makarov began a speech but Rex noticed it was in a choked voice, trying to hold back tears. "Today we mourn for the loss of Rex Vermend. A stranger who came from another world on a journey here. In spite of a seemingly unbelievable story Rex was taken in and treated just like any other member of Fairy Tail and made plenty of friends within."

"One thing Rex had was strength, and in times of need he would put everything aside to help others and protect the Guild. Along with his Pokemon, they would all face up to any challenge no matter how outmatched it may seem. His fighting style was unique as were his abilities and numerous times he had saved… Fairy Tail…" At this Makarov felt several tears slowly breaking through. Unable to say anything he stood back.

Individual members stepped up in turn to give thanks to him, and several of those were members whose names he didn't bother to remember. Next came Juvia who talked about his bravery when facing up against her former master Jose Porla as well as his selflessness when it came to recent events. Lucy then came up to her and paid her respects, followed by Cana who retold the time she had offered him a beer and how he couldn't quite handle it. Laxus walked forwards and didn't exactly pay his respects but muttered something about was his power, which Rex didn't hold against.

Mirajane was the next one to come up and Rex felt his heart beating against his throat. "I wanted to say thank you for what you've done and how you helped me overcome my fears and doubts after losing Lisanna. I will never forget those words you said to me and will carry them along." She said and put down a small framed photo of Lisanna alongside the flowers that were laid.

Rex felt his heart beat faster when Erza came up, in her Heart Kreuz Armor. She looked as if she had cried a mountain and was looking paler than usual. "When I first saw you in the Guild Hall after Mirajane recommended you to help me, the only thing that was surprising was that you didn't seemed afraid of me and you kept your cool. Your story seemed incredible but the fact that you seemed to be so relaxed about it convinced me it was true. The more time… we spent together… the more it seemed we couldn't stay away from trouble." Erza paused to compose herself as best as she could.

"Then came Phantom Lord and in a short space of time you fought Gajeel, then stopped Jupiter, then defeated Aria and then faced Jose. You were getting stronger all the time and never let your doubt stop you for a second. Even when you were outmatched you carried on fighting… that spirit is something… I thought… I had…" Erza cried for a full minute before stopping. "But recently… you showed me what that spirit meant." She finished and lowered her face before going to the back of the crowd, unable to say anything else. Mirajane went to comfort her as did Levy and they both laid a gentle hand on her as she began crying out of both eyes.

Finally it was Greninja's turn and he sat cross legged at the bottom with a sombre look on his face. "I remember a promise you made to me a long time ago. It was a promise to protect others after seeing the death of those close to you, and how you were separated from your friends back home. You've broken that promise twice. The first was when that obnoxious flashing idiot sacrificed himself, the second was this." Greninja gave a pause before jumping up in anger. "WELL GUESS WHAT! IT HASN'T DONE MUCH GOOD NOW HAS IT?" He started shouting much to the surprise of the Mages of Fairy Tail.

"WHEN I HEARD YOU MAKE THAT PROMISE, I DIDN'T EXPECT YOU TO DO THAT! AND YOU KEEP CALLING ME AN IDIOT!" Greninja continued to rant in anger before leaping away and going somewhere else suddenly. This was a surprise to many of the surrounding Mages.

"Don't worry about him, he is now coming into the second stage of grief - anger." Gardevoir said as she stepped out of the crowd and they all turned to face her. "In his own time he'll accept it soon enough." She stated with a steel in her voice that suggested she was somewhere else on that front.

Then whatever she said next was just a haze as everyone simply disappeared, leaving only the flowers and the photo of Lisanna behind. _Then this is it? The last thing I see before going to heaven or hell? _Rex thought.

He didn't expect someone to answer though. "Please stop moping Rex Vermend, it makes my job a lot harder." A taut voice rang out and a small pink light appeared before fading into what was undoubtedly a Pokemon but unlike anything else he had seen before. It's head and many of it's features seemed to take on a crescent appearance. The head was mainly a gold like colour with pink eyes and a gold streak down its body which was mostly blue. There were three shimmering pink fins.

"Umm, what?" Rex asked in confusion.

The Pokemon huffed for a moment. "This is all a dream moron. My name is Cresselia." She introduced herself.

"A dream…?" Rex asked still dumbfounded. Then his brain put the pieces together and he felt himself nearly fall over from the shock and joy of what that meant.

"Ah, you've figured it out now. Good. Be glad my brother didn't get here then otherwise we would be in a mess." Cresselia sighed in relief.

"You have a brother?" Rex asked in confusion. Again.

"Darkrai." Cresselia replied and began to feel agitated just by mentioning that name. "He's a troll for lack of a better term. Always messing around with his nightmares, even when they are unintentional." She explained and looked around, noting the depressing surroundings and then her long pink fins began glowing. The scenery changed to be much brighter and the grave was gone.

Rex nodded once in appreciation before asking the main questions. "What happened? Where am I? How are the others doing?" He asked all at once.

Cresselia held her breath and waited for Rex to stop. "One question at a time. The most important one obviously being what happened, and that will also answer any other questions." She said and was almost expecting Rex to argue with her. _Thank you Darkrai. _Cresselia thought unceremoniously.

To help her and to avoid wanting to explain everything through exposition, Cresselia created an oval mirror that was displaying what happened after the Tower exploded. "Greninja was sent out to find you and you were resting on a bed of Ethernano, and recovered it with the help of Juvia." It displayed two figures dragging another unconscious one.

"You were back in the shared room with Erza, recovering for a few days and in the meantime Erza's friends decided to leave without telling them." The image changed to show a firework display with Shô, Wally and Millianna all crying tears of joy at it along with Erza in an armour that looked ceremonial.

"However the combination of Ethernano and the energy of Arceus' Plates was making you severely ill and you were rushed back to Magnolia Town and Porlyusica was called out to attend to you." This time the image showed Rex lying down in her hut, away from Magnolia Town. He was shocked at just how pale and fragile he looked.

"But Erza being the stubborn one she is didn't want to leave you alone. No one from Fairy Tail wanted to either, they certainly know how to show support I'll give them at." Cresselia then gave a smile of appreciation as the mirror then showed what looked like a hospital in Magnolia and Rex could tell that it wasn't inside the Guild.

"How long?" Rex asked, feeling worried and anxious about whether or not he did make it.

"Ten days total." Was her reply and this time he fell backwards in shock and buried his hands in his face. After what he had done, those ten days would feel like an eternity to the Guild, his Pokemon and most importantly of all Erza. Rex couldn't even imagine what they were going to feel like when they saw him healthy and normal again if ever.

Cresselia then decided to break some more news. "As for Dialga and Palkia, they are not happy at all with this and are very put out. Arceus seems to understand your actions though and had a contingency in place had you failed, but didn't tell any of them." She added and Rex shivered, wondering what on the Pokemon World that contingency meant.

"So what happens now?" Rex asked. He was desperate to get back to Fairy Tail and see the woman he nearly died for.

"Well you're practically back to your normal healthy self now but I would personally advise to not get into any more fights for this day. It's mid morning and you should not wake immediately something important is happening and you should pretend to still be asleep." Cresselia advised before being enveloped in a golden flash of light that expanded to engulf him.

Rex saw darkness but he heard everything, and realised that he was in a hospital bed and that there were two people other than Porlyusica standing next to him. One of the two was a person he wasn't expecting and was looking down calmly at him.

"How is he?" Makarov asked as he looked at him. Rex could hear the tone of the voice and it was both sadness and hope.

"I don't know about that Makarov. I can still feel some traces of Ethernano inside of him, and I've done everything I can with my restorative potions. Now it's up to his body and how fast he can recover - if he even does." Porlyusica admitted and Rex was surprised at this and thought for a moment. She was the one who replaced Erza's right eye and heard how Rob was dead so she would know best.

"I still don't get why I had to come back, gramps. I don't recall ever getting this from you." Laxus said and his neutral face was slowly beginning to give way to annoyance and frustration.

Porlyusica turned to him and was about to argue but Makarov stepped in. "Because Laxus, this child of Fairy Tail not only has done so much for the Guild but also means a lot to Erza in particular." He stated sharply before returning to look at Rex with a sombre expression. "If he were to lose his life it would be a tragedy."

Laxus snorted, but it wasn't out of contempt. "Oh yeah? Then why wasn't the way you acted to pops such a tragedy?" He challenged, not caring that he may have overstepped the line this one time.

Makarov rounded on him suddenly and gave a glare that may have been taught to him by Erza. "Because that time was different to him! I told you not to confront me about that any more!" He said, raising his voice and giving off a golden aura that looked set to pick a fight with him.

Porlyusica stepped in with her own commanding voice. "If you two are going to fight then do so outside, NOT in here!" She stressed the 'not' for the sake of both them and the tension died down a little.

Seeing that there was nothing he could do Laxus turned to the window. "Fine I'll go. But don't expect me to be at the reunion party celebrating." He stated in a firm tone before walking out through the door. Once outside he disappeared in a flash of lightning.

Makarov sighed. "Guess I have to go back outside and inform certain people about his current condition." He said out loud before exiting the place himself.

When Rex was certain that Porlyusica was the only one left he opened his eyes and said quietly, "What was all that about?" And Porlyusica jumped, not expecting him to come around simply like that. "Shhhh." Rex said quietly and she took several minutes to recover from the shock. Rex couldn't help but give a small grin at her reaction as he pulled his body out from the sheet and slowly sat on the bed. "Ahhh, my body feels stiff." He complained.

Porlyusica swooped down on him like a bat. "Are you alright? Can you walk? How did you recover just like that?" She asked all at once and was holding her book that contained the instructions on how to heal almost everything.

"Well I thought I was dead until a Pokemon by the name of Cresselia appeared and said that I wasn't so it's all good. The reason I recovered just like that was probably because my body was fighting the Ethernano. But you said there were only traces of it, I think that might be beneficial in the long run." Rex admitted and began doing exercises to help his legs and arms feel better.

Porlyusica went over and began making a potion. After half an hour she handed to him a small vial of blue liquid. "Take this. It'll help loosen up your body." She ordered and Rex did so.

The potion has a cooling effect on his body and he felt more relaxed as he got up. "Thanks, but don't tell anyone about this. I want to surprise the whole Guild." He said before using Transform to don his appearance before being summoned by Arceus.

* * *

**Magnolia Train Station**

One of the trains was coming in from Hargeon Town and of the many who had come off only two stood out. Amongst the number of passengers was one who stood out amongst the rest, and for a good reason.

The other person looked more suspicious than the first one, but that was mainly down to the large brown cloak he was wearing which covered everything but the bottom half of his lower legs. The second man had short spiky hair that was tied in a short ponytail at the bottom that just touched the top if his shoulder. He stood at 5' 10" tall and had green eyes. "So this is Magnolia Town. Home of the Fairy Tail Guild." He muttered.

"Tch, what a great time to lose my stinking map." He scowled and began walking outside and felt the sun shining on his face. People walking noticed that he had stopped to feel it and the stranger then smiled. "Finally I'm here. After going solo for a while it's nice to settle down in a Guild like that." he continued and slowly began walking.

* * *

**Elsewhere in Magnolia**

Rex was looking up at the Guild and was surprised at how much it had changed. _They actually finished th_e _repair work either while I was away or when I was unconscious. _

It is extravagantly different from the former building: while retaining the pyramid shape of the former building and consisting of three floors, this one strongly resemble a castle in appearance. Topping the building and the last floor is a small, tower-like dome containing a large bell, which has a pointed roof made of tiles; two more towers are present at both sides of the entrance, and they were made of stone as opposed to the green and gold gate he saw the first time he came here with Natsu.

There was also a major expansion outside as well as inside and entered the ground, deciding to look around a bit before going inside and he hid his Mega Bracelet.

Outside he saw a cafe area with many tables and umbrella shades if one desired to eat outside. He also spotted a gift shop of sorts but it looked like no one was there. Rex could tell that no one was outside by the sounds of it and decided to have a look around the back and was amazed to see a large swimming pool. "This redesign looks actually kinda cool." He admitted and put on a slightly different tone.

"Now to go inside and face the music." He said.

Inside the Guild Hall it was usually roaring with life where people were chatting or drinking beer. This would usually end up with Natsu started a fight over something stupid and dragging Erza, Grey and many other Guild members in it too. Usually Erza would be sitting quietly and eating a slice of strawberry cheesecake and would wind up beating Natsu in one hit for the nth time (seriously, when will he learn?) before resuming eating that cake.

Usually, but with the events that had transpired that was not the case this time as they were all sitting down quietly and praying for the best. Even Natsu and Juvia who both usually got into some crazy antics (though not together) were quiet as well.

"I can't work." Lucy said half heartedly, though getting her rent was the least of her problems. Ever since Rex was admitted to Porlyusica's hut and no one else was allowed except Makarov the whole Guild was on edge and was waiting for news.

"Lucy you really thinking about work at a time like this?" Happy asked densely.

"It's not that Happy. She's trying not to think of him." Gray added and didn't really have the heart to call him a stupid cat like Lucy.

Next to him sat Juvia. "I still can't believe the lengths Rex would go to in order to help her." She admitted and thought back to her days in Phantom Lord, and realised that Jose never really cared about her.

"Yeah, I can't think about what might have happened if Rex weren't here to help us." Gray admitted and thought back to the trip to Galuna Island and how Rex pointed out the similarities between him and Natsu. Though he would never state it outright, there was some truth in his words.

"But what's worse is the way his Pokemon have taken it and how she took it." Lucy said and felt tears in her eyes. The whole room seemed to quieten at the reference to Erza.

"They all stayed in his apartment if I recall, and Erza…" Gray said with a long face.

Natsu felt irritated more than anything. "Man, I can't believe that he'd be such a jerk and do that." He growled and clenched his fists. "I shoulda been there to save him as well!" He raised his voice and a few people turned to look at him.

Gray turned to face him. "Would you quit saying things like that Natsu, it's not like we could do anything about and you were the one who told me that he beat Jellal by using a different Forme compared to the normal one." He said and Natsu glared.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean you icy pervert?!" Natsu shouted back and everyone turned to look at him.

Lucy interrupted before the fight could start "Stop it both of you. Now isn't the time for fighting." She hissed at them and they settled down.

"But Erza has probably taken it worse of all. It took the four of us to convince her to come back to the redesigned Guild." Juvia noted.

"Please don't." Lucy stated and thought about Erza.

"No kidding, she even called out his name before he released all that Ethernano. From the way it sounded I'd say that really were in love with each other." Happy pointed out and everyone on the table looked at him, surprised.

"I guess you could say that, especially after the way they sat next to each other in that ice cream parlour." Gray admitted, thinking about the way Rex was acting.

Then the Guild doors suddenly burst open with such force they were nearly ripped off of their hinges and there was a lot of smoke coming from them, indicating a powerful attack had just been used. Everyone from the Guild stared at it in shock and were expecting to be attacked by someone and then leapt into action.

Natsu had both fists ablaze. "Finally someone to pound. I'm all fired up now!" He yelled and spread his feet.

Gray got into his two handed stance and Lucy prepared one of her golden keys. Practically everyone was ready to punch the person who was responsible for that.

They all watched as they saw the smoke being parted by the person and looked in surprise as they saw a normal looking person. He had messy brown hair and blue eyes and was wearing a blue jacket on top of a shirt but they didn't know what the shirt actually looked like underneath.

"That's it?" Lucy asked quietly.

"Who are you?" One of the Guild members asked threateningly.

"We can get to that in a minute but I have to say I really do like the redesign. Shame though, all I did was move a few bricks and placed them where Master Makarov told me too. Not that it's important or anything." Was the seemingly casual reply and not really appearing to be concerned by the threat.

Natsu dropped his attack when he heard the voice and recognised it. It was disguised poorly but he would recognize that speech pattern from a mile away. "No way…" He said and took a more normal stance. "That's impossible, it can't be can it?" He asked.

"Well done Natsu, you flaming idiot." The person replied and that caught the attention of everyone else and they watched as the figured morphed back into a white haired person with a green suit and a tie and well as diamond earrings. "I'm back Fairy Tail!" Rex Vermend announced.

There was complete silence and everyone just stood there in shock, unable to believe what had just happened. Was this some sort of trick? Then they all realised that since Natsu recognized him then there was no possible way for it to be a mistake. "REX!" They all shouted and ran up to him.

"Guys, please stop thi-" Rex began and back away a little but it was too late as he was suddenly swamped by a tidal wave of people all cheering for him to be back and he was gripped nearly to death. "I might actually die!" He squeaked out and they all stopped hugging him.

"Should he really be making a joke like that?" Lucy sweatdropped.

"Man, you had us really worried. We thought you would never gonna make it!" Gray said and was half scolding him for what he did.

Rex blushed with embarrassment and put a hand to the back of his head. "Uh yeah, sorry about that Gray, everyone." He then addressed to the people of Fairy Tail in general. Looking around he saw that Erza was nowhere to be seen.

"Rex." Makarov said and there was a sense of relief from the current Guildmaster as he walked over. "As the father of this family it gives me great joy in seeing you alive and healthy. I also want to thank you again for what you have done to the Guild. The thought of losing you was unbearable." Makarov admitted and was grinning at see him here.

"Thank you Master." Rex said and nodded before taking in breath subconsciously and asking the important question. "Where is Erza right now?" And this seemed to drop the temperature by a good few degrees and there was complete silence. Everyone moved to one side so as not to get in the way of each other.

From the second floor Erza came down after she had heard his voice and was in a state of shock. Rex was surprised as well because she looked paler than normal and from the looks of it she had lost some weight too. He also saw that her eyes were red as if she cried a lot, both eyes now. _She can finally cry out of both eyes now. _

"Rex? Is that…" She began, and hiccupped in mid sentence, but was unable to finish it anyway.

"Me, flesh and blood." Rex finished for her and then held both arms out. "You look like you could use a slice of strawberry cheesecake." He suggested and waited like it was nothing. The silence was so loud you could hear a pin drop.

Realising that only he could make a funny yet insulting comment like that, Erza dashed forwards and Mira had to cover her eyes to stop the dust getting into them. None of the people around them mattered as much as seeing the person who not only helped her but also had feelings for was not dead and they embraced together for what felt like forever. Erza had got some of her colour back due to shock and managed to requip into a short sleeved white blouse with a somewhat large blue bow tie.

At first their heads were on one another's shoulders and then they moved them so that both forehead were touching each other. "I thought I had lost you." Erza confessed in a small voice and was crying tears of joy, and her arms were around his neck loosely.

Rex was also crying out of joy and was hugging her around her waist gently. "I thought I had died, but I understand that what I did was wrong and that I shouldn't just needlessly do things like that." He admitted and they both let go to wipe their tears. By now practically everyone was aware of the relationship those two had shared and several of them began grinning.

Makarov was holding a mug of beer in one of his hands. "Three cheers for the return of Rex Vermend!" He shouted and everyone began cheering and in no time at all the Guild returned to its new happy state. No one felt happier to be back than Rex and then his Pokemon came in, lead by Greninja.

"Okay, who upset nee-chan by suddenly being cheerful?!" Gallade demanded loudly but then they all gasped when they saw Rex Vermend turning round to face them will a smile on his face. "You're okay Senpai?" Gallade asked out of shock.

"Get out of the immediate area!" Rex warned and there was a scattering around him as they all hid behind and underneath tables. Just in time too as both Aggron and Garchomp had pounded him at once with Braviary trying to get in between them to pin him too the ground.

"Do you have any idea how worried we were, cacaw!" Braviary demanded and wasn't crying but was full of joy enough to feel slightly dizzy. "What do you think about the reaction has Goodra been here?" He asked genuinely.

Rex shuddered slightly as he got up. "Don't worry about that Braviary, beside if Goodra was here his tears would rival Juvia's I think." He admitted with a slight chuckle and sat down, now looking around him. It had increased in size drastically and could house more as well. There was also a stage there and Rex also could have sworn he saw more people on the second floor than usual.

Erza sat down and looked at him with relief on her face, and felt that she could finally relax now. _He's back, it's such a relief to see him like his normal self again. Finally, the Guild feels complete again. _She thought with a smile on her face then remembered something she had to do to him.

"Oh Re-ex." She called his name out and he turned to face her, not liking that tone in his voice. Her eyes narrowed suddenly and she gave him a death glare that actually managed to make him scared. "I just wanted to let you know the pain I've been through… just a demonstration…" She began.

_No thank you. _Rex thought and then dashed out of his seat with the help of Quick Attack and narrowly managed to avoid being caught. "I think Lucy wants to say something to you." He pointed to her.

Erza quickly turned and fell for the trick, with Rex dashing out as quickly as he could. Lucy had a horrified look on her face and her heart was thumping against her chest.

Mirajane was watching the antics from the bar and couldn't help but chuckle at the way those were acting. It was almost like Natsu and Gray in a way, but there were differences. Cana on the other hand was less discreet and along with Greninja both began laughing uproariously at another table to their misfortune.

Erza hit them both on the head and they slumped next to each on the table as she began running after Rex, clearing seeing his white hair flowing in the wind and had an inkling of where he might go and. "REX VERMEND DO NOT RUN FROM ME!" She shouted as she began chasing him.

* * *

**Magnolia Town**

Having removed his cloak and flung it over his shoulder, the newcomer bound for the Fairy Tail Guild had a lean body and wore a purple and black long sleeved jacket with shoulder pads on over a dark red shirt. He looked to be in his early 20s and looked quite smart consider his messy hair. Across his waist there was a fiery dark red belt with two golden buckles on it and it held up a pair of pants that also had metallic grey purple pads at the knees. His boots also had a fiery dark red colour scheme.

"I heard how they renovated the place but I never expected them to be finished that quickly." He admitted and carried on walking there regardless. Sensing something fast approached he moved to one side quickly and then saw two figures. One with white and a tie, the other one had red hair.

"Okay… what was that all about? And who is Erza chasing?" He asked out loud though wasn't expecting an answer but instead carried on. He did hear her shouting at him though and heard something along the lines of not running away from her. _Who would do that though? _Locke thought, baffled for a moment.

_DON'T LOOK BACK! OR SHE'LL GET YOU! _Rex's thoughts were screaming and decided to head for his home and turned down some way until he found himself at a dead end alleyway Wasting no time he followed this up by using Dig and Erza nearly hit the wall lunging at him.

Rex got out the other side and continued running as the wall behind him exploded and Erza had summoned a hammer to break it down. _As if a dead end would stop her. But I need to put more distance between us if I want this to work. _He thought and then switched to the Sky Plate, gliding low to the ground and getting closer to his home.

His luck had run out unfortunately and Erza summoned the spear that came with her Lightning Empress Armour and she fired a bolt of lighting at the right angle, shocking him in midair and he came crashing down just a few feet away from the door. _Oh crap._

Erza stored her weapon away and slowed down, coming within two feet of him and she waited for a few moments before picking Rex up tightly and slamming him against the wall. There was a nervous expression on his face as he tried to remain as calm as possible. "Come on Erza, let's not do anything hasty!" He said hesitantly.

She summoned a sword and pointed at his face. "HAVE YOU ANY IDEA HOW EMPTY I HAD FELT AFTER WE FOUND OUT YOU WERE SICK FROM THE ETHERNANO?!" She roared and Rex realised that he was the only thing stopping her. "I WAS GRIEF STRICKEN FROM THE POSSIBILITY YOU COULD HAVE DIED! DON'T YOU KNOW HOW I WOULD HAVE FELT IF YOU HAD?!"

"Actually I do." Rex said calmly but still scared by her. "If it makes you feel better than hit me." He said and slumped enough to make Erza realise he wasn't going to defend himself if she did decide to attack him.

She dropped him and he was on both knees. "I-I couldn't think of anything else but you during all that time. SO DON'T DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT OKAY?!" She shouted and gently hit him on the head.

"Yeah… I know how that feels. Like your whole world suddenly is gone and it's just you." Rex admitted, losing whatever joking tone he had previously at the Guild and stared out at the sea, those painful memories of his parents came again. Then he felt moody for another reason.

Erza stopped when she heard those words and realised that he had hit that feeling head on. "Is there something bothering you?" She asked him. _It's as if there is something else, but I need to find out more about his feelings right now. _Erza concluded and sat down next to him.

"It's just that when I was unconscious I saw a vision of what could've happened had I died. I saw how upset and shaken you were, but there was also something else to it." Rex looked up, but not at her. "Greninja said about breaking a promise I made again. It was one I made shortly after getting him as a gift courtesy of Professor Sycamore. It was to protect everyone that I had made friends with and I broke that promise twice Erza." Rex said and felt even more depressed than before.

"And then, Simon. I could have stopped that attack from killing him. I failed Erza, and as a result I made you cry!" He spat out that last bit with contempt. "I don't know how I can face you after failing to protect someone close to you." Rex added bitterly and was brooding for several moments. "I made you cry and I can't forgive myself for that!"

Erza knew at that point what had to be done. She didn't know how it would help it him but it was worth a shot anyway and she embraced him again gently. "If it helps you feel better, I forgive you for what happened to Simon." Rex turned to face her in shock. "What you did next was stupid, but it was also incredibly brave."

Rex continued looking at her and then thought about what it meant. _She's overcoming those past failures, and instead of shielding herself from those emotions now… she's heading them face on. Making her stronger. _He thought and then they hugged each other again. "When we get back I'll say that you hit me really hard."

* * *

**Fairy Tail Guild**

Gardevoir moved towards the table where Greninja and Cana were both slumped on and sighed out of hopelessness. "You were teasing Erza what did you expect?" She berated them lightly and Mirajane was also there, making sure that they weren't seriously injured.

"It was pretty funny though." Mirajane noted and smirked.

Gardevoir couldn't help but chuckle as well. "It was, I suppose. He's such an idiot." She said, referring to Greninja and looking towards the entrance to the Guild she saw a male come in.

The appearance of the male was what caught some of their attention. For most though it was the first thing he said upon entering the Guild. "Did someone try and attack Fairy Tail again?" He noted with amusement and everyone was looking at him.

"Hardly, we were just celebrating the return of Rex. And of Fairy Tail's strongest team. Who are you?" Makarov answered as he stood up from where he was sitting.

The man raised his eyebrow and thought for a moment. "Okay then. My name is Locke Johansson, and I would like to join Fairy Tail." He introduced himself and smiled.

Makarov then light up. "A new member of the family. Mirajane!" He called her over. "Could you go and get the stamp." He asked.

"Of course!" Mirajane said before getting with ease the same stamp used to mark many members with the official Fairy Tail emblem. "Welcome to Fairy Tail, where would you like your Guild Mark?" She asked Locke politely.

Locke gave a few moments to think about it and then knew. "Back of the neck in gray please." He requested and moved his ponytail aside. Mirajane nodded and skillfully stamped his neck. "So what's with the doors looking as if they were about the be blown off?" He asked.

Macao answered that. "Well… it's just that Rex has come back after recovering from recent events and we're throwing a party to celebrate his return, but he ran out followed by Erza." He explained as best as he could.

Locke looked at him suddenly. "That was who I saw run past me earlier on today!" He realised outloud and looked at Cana and Greninja. "What happened to those two?" He asked, confused.

Mirajane giggled. "They made fun of their relationship and Erza stopped that." She couldn't stop giggling mainly due to the position they were in and of an earlier incident that happened a while back. After a moment she gave up and began laughing loudly which made most of the Guild turn in astonishment and look at her as she lost control of herself.

"Calm down Mirajane!" Locke stated with concern before turning to Gray. "Do you know what happened?" He asked.

In response Gray began shivering and looking down hard at the floor. He knew exactly what had happened during that time and didn't want to think about it ever again. "I do, but I don't want to talk about it." He whimpered.

Locke grumbled and let a visible sign of irritation cross his face. Then he turned back to Mirajane. "I think you sit down otherwise you're gonna have an accident." He told her and she was calming down but let him guide her to a seat and when she was sitting down he was pulled into a hug by her and right in front of the others. "Um… thanks?" Locke said, not really sure how to deal with it and blushed. This elicited a round of chuckles from the people nearby.

Elfman got suspicious. "What kind of man hits on a woman?" He asked of Locke.

"I wasn't hitting on her!" Locke protested in annoyance. "I don't like her!" He paused and realised that he messed up badly. "I didn't mean it like that! I mean I do like her but not _like _like her!" He said quickly as Elfman took a step towards him and instead of backing up he jumped up as if expecting a fight.

"Elfman, it's okay." Mirajane said and they both turned to face them. "I know what you meant I was only teasing you." She said before it got any further.

"Thanks." Locke sighed in relief and sat down. "I need a whole barrel of beer just to calm my nerves." He said and seconds later Mirajane presented him with a barrel. _I didn't mean it literally but okay then. _

It was then that Cana woke up along with Greninja and saw what was going on. "You're seriously gonna drink all of that?" She asked in a friendly tone.

Locke thought for a moment and then decided to propose a challenge. "Okay then. Ten thousand Jewel says I can drink this whole barrel from the barrel and be perfectly fine afterwards." He said in a raised tone and everyone looked at him as if he were insane.

Cana was caught off guard by this but saw the confidence in his tone. _Interesting. _She thought. "Okay then." She accepted his challenge and waited.

Letting out some baited breath, Locke began drinking from the barrel and everyone was watching him with interest and several members had even placed bets on him as well. _This beer is definitely better than last time. Another reason to stay. _He thought and kept on chugging it down for several minutes. After being certain the barrel was empty Locke placed it down gently and then burped loudly for a few seconds. "'Scuse me." Was all he said, and the smile said everything else.

They all stood there, amazed at how easily he made it sound then everyone began cheering him and Cana shook hands with him, albeit grudgingly. "Since I didn't hear the first time. What was your name again?"

"Locke."

Cana grinned. "Welcome to Fairy Tail, Locke, this might just be the star of beautiful friendship." She then handed him the money with some regret and then ordered another beer.

This time it was Wakaba and Macao who both approached him and they were impressed by what he just did. "I haven't see anyone other than Cana do what you just did. So what kind of Magic do you use?" He asked.

"I use a type of Requip Magic. I don't use it much unless I'm in a fight." Locke said and that gave Natsu an idea.

"And how strong would you think you are?" Cana asked and Mirajane was looking on in curiosity as well.

Locke thought for a second. "Well, this is my thoughts so I don't know. But if I can down a barrel of beer I definitely had a strong liver." He said with a straight face but the joke made a few people chuckle. "Seriously though? I would say I am quite strong." He answered with an indecisive shrug.

"Oh really, then I challenge you to a fight right now!" Natsu demanded with a blazing fist and he lunged at him. He didn't expect Locke to dive off of his seat and roll around to face him and as a result crashed into the bar.

"Watch the beer will ya!" Cana said angrily.

Locke stood up and faced Natsu who turned to face him. _Please don't tell me he's going to keep doing that! _He thought, irritated. "No, for two reasons. One is that we're indoors and two is that I don't feel like it right now." Locke said.

"I think you should get it over and done with, he won't stop until you do." Happy addressed him, and Locke nearly jumped out of his skin. A talking cat was the last thing he expected to see in the Guild which was also home to Salamander and Titania among others.

_Considering the way Salamander attacked me recklessly, guess I have no choice but to. _Locke sighed and then said, "Alright Natsu, I'll take you on now. But I'm gonna do so without Magic." He stated and surprised everyone there.

"You're really gonna fight Natsu without Magic?" Gray asked skeptically, wondering if the alcohol would have an affect.

Natsu seemed to be enthralled with this challenge. "Fine by me. **Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!**" He shouted and lunged forwards. Locke ducked and in retaliation elbowed Natsu in the stomach to stop him there and then followed up by punching him directly in the face. Undeterred Natsu tried to attack him again but this time Locke caught the fist with his own.

"He actually _caught _his fist! I'm scared of him now!" Lucy cried, referring to the new member naturally. Other people weren't sure whether to be impressed or afraid of him.

"You shouldn't be such a scaredy cat." Happy pointed out, somewhat hypocritically because he was slightly shaking too.

Natsu growled in annoyance. "**Fire Dragon's Talon!**" He cried and hit Locke with a blazing foot and crashed into a table, breaking it from the force. Locke then got up and could feel the heat of it on himself and grunted as if that did nothing to him.

Natsu then ran forwards again but Locke did the same and grabbed his arm. Using the momentum Natsu was picked up and flung over the shoulder before being slammed down into the floor. "I think you should give up otherwise it will carry on like this." Locke advised as Natsu got back, and seeing the determination on his face made him realise this wasn't going to happen any time soon.

_Okay, so then I have to do things the hard way. Fine by me. _Locke decided grimly and blocked several punches this time before striking back with a few of his own and then delivered a hard kick to Natsu's stomach. Then Natsu threw another punch and Locke leaned over to the side and then was caught in the face with a blast of fire and stumbled backwards.

"Nice trick." Locke grumbled, knowing that calling it dirty wasn't going to do much at all. Getting up quickly and opening his eyes he felt the smoke and then saw Natsu coming forwards for another attack and jumped to one side before landing another kick right in between his legs and Natsu yelped as the pain shot through his body.

"He's impressive for sure. I wonder how he would compare with the likes of Rex or Erza." Gray noted with intrigue.

"I don't like the sound of that." Lucy admitted. If Locke was comparable to either of the two it could mean yet more collateral damage that Fairy Tail has an unfavourable reputation for.

Locke and Natsu both traded punches and there was sometimes a small burst of fire from the Dragon Slayer, but it looked as if they were both evenly match. Even in spite of the alcohol, Locke appeared to be doing just fine against Natsu and then sent a powerful uppercut into his stomach, winding Natsu. After that he then punched Natsu hard on top of the head and knocking him out cold.

"And the winner this time is Locke!" Happy jumped up.

"...Well that was a surprise." Came a male voice from the doors and they all froze, then turned around to see that Rex and Erza had come back quietly, because the doors were still open. "What did Natsu do this time?" He asked and several members almost seemed afraid.

Locke was the one who answered that question. "He decided to try and fight me. I think he lost." He explained, deadpan.

Rex walked over and picked Natsu up, seeing that his eyes were spinning and he was muttering something incomprehensible. "Heh, well you've certainly left a mark on him. Welcome to Fairy Tail by the way, I'm Rex. You've already met Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Happy, Cana, Mirajane amongst many others." He pointed them out one by one.

Locke smiled at the welcome and then remembered something. "You're Rex Vermend aren't you? I heard about how you destroyed the Guild Masters Conference Hall and your part in the war between Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord!" He cried out loudly and several people couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"Yes I am, it's nice to be recognized, though I hope that anything bad the Council said about me doesn't help." Rex admitted with a scowl.

Locke shook his head and his smile dropped to something more neutral. "Not really. I don't trust them that much." He said. "So where have you just been?" He asked, and everyone looked at him all of a sudden as if wanting to know too.

Rex sat down and sighed. "All right, but be prepared for a long explanation." He said to everyone present. It took the good part of an hour to explain everything and with the help of the Dread Plate used illusions to create the settings so they had an idea. He started with the sudden interruption of their break at Akane Resort, and then showed things mainly from his point of view. They all watched as they saw him realise what would happen to Erza.

When the scene shifted to the reveal of the connection between Siegrain and Jellal and then the subsequent fight they all stood there in silence with a baited breath and also saw how well they both fought to save Erza. There were some emotional responses from the other members as they saw Simon die and upon seeing Rex transform into Yveltal Natsu took several steps back with a look of horror on his face.

"Seriously? You're terrified by that?" Lucy asked Natsu in surprise.

"The Ethernano became _red _Lucy." A trembling Natsu pointed out to her. "If that isn't an indication of how angry he was…" He couldn't finish the sentence.

_No kidding. If Natsu was silenced then it must be a sight. _Gray thought and it definitely turned out to be true. They all saw how easily Rex was beating Jellal and were all surprised by the fact that Jellal could use Abyss Break and then some of them were scared at the fact that one attack was all that was needed to stop it and finish him.

"After that, Erza tried fusing herself with the Ethernano but I took her place and nearly died because of it." Rex finished, not wanting to mention the fact that he saw what would happen if he did die and decided to omit the chat he had with Jellal.

"That's incredible." Lucy muttered. "It obviously shows how devoted you are to Erza!" She said and everyone began laughing much to his embarrassment.

A sneering voice cut across the laughter. "Are we going to carry on with this reunion party? Because the emotional sap is making me sick." He stated and Rex was stunned at hearing that voice in this Guild Hall. Turning to face it he saw Gajeel Redfox of all people in the shadows with a black Fairy Tail Guild Mark.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Rex shouted, remembering what happened the last time Gajeel came to Magnolia Town. It resulted in the Guild Hall being heavily damaged and several members were badly hurt in a fight with him, including Greninja. "Why is he in the Guild, Master?" He then demanded of Makarov and began walking towards Gajeel.

"WAIT!" Juvia blurted out desperately and she stood between the two. "He was out of work and there was nowhere for him to go so I recommended this place." She had cut her hair to be much shorter than when he had last seen her and was now wearing a white and blue outfit with a round white jewel on her hat.

"I ain't expecting something from you and I don't like you lot just as much, but without Jose work has been rough." Gajeel sneered, not happy either apparently.

Rex's expression didn't change on the outside but inside he felt a flicker of sympathy for Gajeel and instead then addressed Juvia. "It's nice to see you hear Juvia. I'm glad that you got in." He said in his normal tone and they embraced each other and Gray looked at them. "I know that you like Gray, so you better get him before I make a move." He whispered into her ear and Juvia found herself going bright red.

_Love with both genders? _Juvia thought and the prospect of Rex stealing away her beloved Gray away from her made her blush a furious red. "Stay away from him Gray!" She cried and ran towards him, suddenly drenching him in water.

Still irritated ab Gajeel being in the Guild Rex turned to Master Makarov for an explanation. "It's like Juvia said, he was out of work. I also invited him to the Guild so that he has the chance to walk down a better path. And I expect him to be treated like a member of this family!" He added firmly and Rex still felt on edge but decided to comply. Turning round he briefly saw the looks on Jet and Droys faces. Behind them stood an apprehensive Levy.

Outside the Guild Hall he had a chat with Greninja. "As much as I don't like Gajeel entering the Guild, I'm more worried about what Jet and Droy are going to do. They still haven't gotten over being clubbed a while ago by him." Rex admitted.

"So you want me to shadow Gajeel?" Greninja guessed.

"Yeah, if things get out of hand step in." Rex said and saw the shocked look on his face. "What the Master said is right. We have to treat him as a family member despite our reservations." He stressed that last point and Greninja looked uneasily at that.

"Of course I'd still do it." Greninja nodded before getting out of his seat and onto a rooftop in several leaps. _But I'm still pissed at what he did to me._

* * *

**Later on in Magnolia, South Gate Park**

Gajeel was going off to do a job but was interrupted by Team Shadow Gear. He could see Jet and Droy out in front, with Levy behind them still looking on nervously. "We have a bone to pick with you Gajeel." Jet said threateningly.

"Really? Then hurry up I need to get to work." Gajeel said with apparent disinterest.

"Why the hell would you join the Guild that you helped to destroy?" Jet asked bluntly.

Gajeel avoided that question. "You're still holding a grudge against me aren't ya?" He asked, again with disinterest. From the shadows of the nearest building Greninja was watching them and looking on, waiting to see what would happen.

"If makes anything better I'm over what happened." Levy stated from behind and she didn't want to get into what she considered would be a one sided match. It was going to be one, just not in the way he expected.

"Juvia entering the Guild was fine and all but this is the limit!" Jet shouted before they both sprang into action and attacked Gajeel several times with his High Speed Magic and pushed him back a lot more than last time, which wasn't much.

"**Knuckle Plant!**" Droy shouted and threw a handful of seeds at the ground beneath Gajeel, creating a group of light yellow Seals. Then a multitude of fist shaped plants sprang up from underneath and each of them hit the Iron Dragon Slayer, who was still standing but wasn't fighting back.

Jet got into a running stance. "**Falcon Heavenward!**" He chanted and a green Seal appeared behind him as he rush towards Gajeel then turned to deliver a fast but powerful kick directly at his chest which made Gajeel fly off of his feet and stumble backwards. "Don't tell me that's all you got? What is your game Gajeel?" Jet asked scathingly.

Greninja had seen all of this from the shadows and took note of Gajeel's stance in particular did not dictate a fighting intent. _Of course you idiot! He was taking this intentionally all along as a way to be accepted. _He thought, but then someone came along which made the situation much worse.

It was none other than Laxus Dreyar. He looked different compared to when Greninja last saw him. Laxus was now wearing a long fur lined black coat that was draped over his shoulders and a wine purple coloured shirt underneath and also wore a pair of blackish blue pants. "Are you being picked on?" He asked Gajeel in a neutral tone.

Gajeel grunted in reply and got up.

The mood changed suddenly when Laxus fired a bolt of lightning right at Gajeel and the intensity of it made Gajeel scream in pain. "THANKS TO YOU, FAIRY TAIL BECAME SOMETHING TO BE MOCKED!" Laxus shouted angrily and both Jet and Droy began losing their desire for revenge when they began to sense something wrong with it.

"Stop it Laxus, you're going too far!" Jet called out.

Laxus stopped the bolt of lightning and Gajeel collapsed on the ground. "When I was on my way back here I heard things about how the Fairy Tail guild was laughed at and it pissed me off to no end. Then I knew why. It's because of people like you!" He shouted at Gajeel and then kicked him in the chest.

Levy then also saw what Gajeel was trying to do. _He was taking those attacks and not fighting back because he wanted to gain our respect as an ally if not a friend! _She thought and was even more worried about.

"Seriously Laxus, stop it!" Jet repeated.

Laxus then turned to glare at the two of them. "SHUT UP! I WILL NOT TOLERATE ANY WEAKLINGS IN FAIRY TAIL!" He shouted and a fist charged up with electricity. From the shadows Greninja already had a Water Shuriken prepared and threw it. Laxus then fired the lightning, aiming for Levy, but a Water Shuriken bounced off of the tree and intercepted it.

At the same time Greninja jumped from where he stood and was a few feet away from Gajeel, preparing to enter a deadly battle with one of Fairy Tail's strongest. That didn't matter right now as much as Laxus' behaviour which was even worse. "Who or what the hell are you?" Laxus asked, calming down slightly. "Wait a second, you're one of those things that Rex goes with." He added and his glare intensified.

"That's right. I also stopped that lightning bolt from hitting Levy." Greninja stated calmly and held a Water Shuriken in his hand. It was gleaming in the light.

Laxus grunted and sparks flashed around him. "Is this a joke? Tell me the Guild doesn't employ stupid frogs now?" He asked insultingly and then realised that it was more of an insult than he realised because he saw the Ninja Pokemon disappear and strike him with Night Slash.

Greninja appeared behind Gajeel again and helped him up. "Out of here. Now." He commanded and Gajeel grunted as he obeyed slowly. Team Shadow Gear also back away from it slowly and they knew things were going to erupt in a flurry of lightning and water. Then he created a pair of Water Shuriken and threw them at Laxus.

The yellow haired Mage deflected them with his fists alone but Greninja created a tear in his coat with Night Slash and Laxus took note of the three marks that it had made and saw the connection almost instantly. "It was you! You were the one who attacked me then!" He growled at Greninja.

"So what if I did, you were bragging about your strength back then. You deserve it!" Greninja shouted back.

Laxus fired another bolt of electricity only to miss and felt several Water Shurikens pierce his coat and they exploded, showering him with compressed water. "So this is how it's going to be. Cheap tricks and stings?" He almost seemed amused by that and let loose a barrage of smaller Thunderbolts and they each struck a Water Shuriken.

Greninja then appeared in front of him. "Guess who." He stated calmly and fired off a Hydro Pump that slammed hard into Laxus who ended up being drenched. _Arceus help me. _He thought upon seeing Laxus still standing but looked even angrier than before if such a thing was possible.

Laxus then began flaring electricity around him. "If this is what the Guild has been reduced to… THEN IT IS MY DUTY TO SEE THAT WEAK MEMBERS ALL DISAPPEAR!" He roared and fired a powerful lightning bolt that appeared to hit Greninja but instead it was a Substitute that took the attack for him and that he had disappeared quickly after making it. "Pathetic." Laxus sneered and saw that the other members were long gone by now and remembered what had happened a few days prior.

* * *

**3 days ago**

_The King Bar was the most popular hang out for Mages of all calibre and currently there was a loudmouth in there going by the name of Zâto of the Naked Mummy Guild. He looked more like a monkey than he did a human and had a rather large afro and a strange green suit with an even stranger pattern on it._

_"Ha ha ha ha! I can't believe those idiots at Fairy Tail got their Guild Hall destroyed by another Guild, and they let it happen too!" He shouted out loud and several other patrons looked on nervously. "These Fairies are weak and pathetic, I might just go hunt one myself!" He declared at the wrong moment._

_Laxus Dreyar just happened to walk in at the right moment and almost immediately everyone began clearing for the perhaps inevitable fight that was about to unfold between the two of them. "You want to go hunting for a fairy?" He asked casually. "Well you just found one."_

_Outside, the people were still clearing when Laxus was thrown through a wall and made several large cracks after being thrown by Zâto and stood up. Zâto then chuckled. "You see what I mean? They're all weak and useless!" He declared before being badly electrocuted by Laxus who had shrugged off the blow like it was nothing._

_Laxus didn't say anything except look at Zâto an gave him a warning. "I'll go now, and if I hear one more statement about Fairy Tail you'll be more than just singed." He warned as the crowd looked at him in awe because of how easily he managed to defeat the monkey like person._

* * *

**Now**

Laxus remembered what he had concluded after that incident. _Fairy Tail is weak thanks to the old man. I'll put things right soon, and no one can stop me. Not even Rex! _He thought and a look of intense anger came across his face and he disappeared in a flash of lightning.

* * *

**And that's a wrap people! Finally getting the Battle of Fairy Tail/Laxus arc into full swing. How did you like the introduction of one of two planned original characters. Don't worry you'll see his Magic when the Fighting Festival actually begins.**

**Next Time on Guardian Fairy - Fighting Festival**

**As the Harvest Festival is approaching Magnolia Town, it also heralds the Miss Fairy Tail contest. But this year expect things to go a little differently - with Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe hosting!**


	22. Fighting Festival

**Not much to say here other than expect a more action packed chapter. Though I'm impressed to see that I almost have 100 people who have favorited it. That is possibly one of the reasons I find myself continuing to write this story.**

**Previously on Guardian Fairy -**

**Rex:** I managed to survive by the skin of my teeth, and I'm sorry for what I did. Apparently according to Cresselia I was out for ten days straight and was eventually moved to a hospital some distance away from the Guild Hall. I could hear Laxus and Makarov nearly getting into a fight and I had a dream where I saw a future in which I had died. That was not pleasant but I'm glad we have avoided that. The reunion was touching Father and when we came back there was a new member of the Guild who had joined as well. Then Greninja had a short scuffle with Laxus who was being harsh on Gajeel, something will happen to that arrogant blondie soon, you can bet on that.

* * *

**Chapter 22 - Fighting Festival**

The rest of the day was spent returning things back to normal and now that Rex had woken up and was raring back in the guild was being guided by Erza Scarlet along with Team Natsu and the newcomer Locke, who also used this opportunity to learn more about the Guild and settle in. "The biggest change, however, is the second floor." She pointed out to him.

"Really? Why?" Rex asked with some interest.

Erza smiled as she turned to face him. When she thought he was gone, she barely remembered to eat and did so at erratic times. Now that he was all right she wouldn't have to worry about that anymore. "Because anyone can go and pick a job from the S-Class board. You either have to be on the same team as an S-Class ranking wizard or gain permission from the Master." She answered for him.

Rex widened his eyes in realisation of what that meant. "That's great! Then we could go on S-Class Quests together!" He said and everyone interpreted that as just him and Erza.

"I bet you two are going to have lots of fun together!" Happy joked and ran away as fast as he could but like before Erza caught him and then gave him a fierce death glare.

_Let's not get into that. I don't wanna jack the age rating of this up. _Locke thought, unaware that he had managed to break the fourth wall up as he was concerned more so for Happy than anyone else.

They all returned to the Guild Hall where they saw that Mirajane was on a stage with a pink coloured guitar and floating around her was a mic powered by a Lacrima. There was also a sizeable crowd gathered around her and were cheering her on a lot. It was also considerably darker and the group of 6 plus Happy were all ushered towards a table with prepared food and drink for them.

Natsu was now getting annoyed. "I don't like this. All this change feels boring." He muttered and looked around then tried using his flames to make it brighter, which produced a bright light from a small flickering flame.

"Put that out Natsu and watch the performance!" Cana ordered and tried to put out the flame, but Natsu already had and glared at the stage.

Meanwhile Rex had his attention on the coffee cup in front of him and sniffed it gently. _Black coffee, with one spoon. Mirajane I love you now. _He thought, and was happy that his thought remained private otherwise Erza would attack him or gasp in shock.

Mirajane was waiting for the cheering to die down. "This song is to celebrate the full return of Fairy Tail's strongest team!" She announced and her voice filled the hall, and was met with more cheering from the crowd below. She began playing a gentle melody on the guitar as she sang.

_I gently touched the desk where you used to sit,  
Alone once more today with the shadows,  
I look up to the sky and whisper a prayer,  
You're out there somewhere, too, under the vast sky,  
I bear with the tears, even as I tremble,  
Even when the darkness threatens to swallow me,  
Don't you forget there will always be,  
A place for you…  
To come home to…  
And people waiting there for you_

Mirajane let the last few notes fade as the crowd were going wild, she even saw most of Team Natsu clapping and cheering with her.

Gajeel had recovered enough from the ordeal and finished his job in time to see the performance and had a neutral look on his face. He was sitting next to Natsu who was also not looking happy mainly from the fact that the Guild had changed. Then Gajeel smiled and slammed his foot down on Natsu's and the latter cried out in pain.

"What the hell was that for Gajeel!" Natsu jumped up and roared at him, but Gajeel feigned innocence and put on a confused expression. This also knocked the table by a lot and Locke was stuck between the table and chair.

"Pipe down Natsu, a man doesn't interrupt my sister!" Elfman stated.

"Then I'll answer with my fist you jerk!" Natsu shouted at Gajeel and then smacked him out of the seat and onto the floor in front of him.

Gajeel responded by hitting him with an iron rod and narrowly missing Gray who had just jumped up in light of what Natsu had done. "Dammit Natsu! Stop being an idiot right now!" He demanded and narrowly missed Erza's slice of strawberry and he got ready to perform a Spell.

"Who are you to call me an idiot you icy freak!" Natsu shouted in retaliation and then punched Gray right down the table into Gajeel. Unfortunately along the way Rex was taking a sip of his black coffee when Gray's elbow jolted his mug forward and showering his face in the stuff which was still quite hot as well.

"Why don't I shut both of you morons up?!" Gajeel demanded as he jumped back towards Natsu. Gray had also recovered and the three of them were all involved in a violent three way melee that ended up hitting other people as well who decided to join the fight.

"A fight! It's been a while since we've had one!" A random member shouted and eventually most of the members decided to join in on the fight as well.

Mirajane was only mildly surprised that a fight had broken out and she had stopped playing the song. "I was going to perform a ballad…" She began and a multitude of squares began appearing all over her body and she transformed into a more revealing outfit that complimented the mood. "...but a rock song is just fine!" She grinned and started playing one.

Rex just stood there as he felt the searing coffee over his face, eyes closed. When he wiped them and saw that Natsu and Gajeel were there at the centre of it he remembered how it started. Locke saw the comically angry look on his face akin to that of an enraged Tyranitar and he backed as best as he could.

"NATSU! GAJEEL!" Rex roared above the noise and Mirajane stopped playing the guitar and the Hall went quiet, including the aforementioned pair who heard him and they turned to face his face. "You two spilt my coffee! NO ONE DOES THAT!" He burst out and everyone else shrank back. They also saw a large red aura as Rex had unknowingly activated Anger Point and dashed forwards.

Neither one of them was able to take a step before Rex began pounding them both with Close Combat at the same time and they felt equal amounts of pain that was quite possibly one of the worst things they had experience in their lives. Now that everyone had seen this up close they were also amazed at how fast they Rex was dealing those punches.

"Is he always like that?" Cana asked Greninja and she was trembling slightly.

"Absolutely." Greninja said and was actually embarrassed for once. "That's why he calls me an idiot, but I don't want to talk about that right now." He felt himself blushing now that he thought of it.

"Don't. Spill. My. Coffee!" Rex stated to them, deliberately punctuating it for emphasis and they both fell down when he had stopped dealing them, with injuries all over their body and and an unconscious Gajeel looked at Natsu as if to blame him, and he was right in a way.

"I take it it must mean a lot to you then." Erza said to him as he sat back down at the table and moved it, allowing Locke to relax as he drank from his mug of beer which he had the sense to give to Cana.

"It's the second most important thing to me if you catch my drift." Rex said and he was looking at her. Those watching all know what she had meant and they all looked at her, even Locke was curious as to her reaction.

In return Erza blushed and her cheeks became a rosy pink colour. "That's nice of you to say so." She replied quietly and they both had an arm round each other in comfort.

"If you two want to spend some time together than do so alone, not in front of where everyone can see you." Cana suggested, pretending not to look at them whilst simultaneously looking at them. They both cleared their throat and moved slightly away from each other, and Cana snickered.

Natsu and Gajeel had both been moved to one side with help from various members and the look on his face was one of satisfaction. It made several people wonder if what Natsu was needing was an old fashioned Guild brawl, but they also wondered if doing so when Rex was having his favourite drink was such a good idea.

"So what are you going to do now?" Locke asked.

Rex then yawned and looked outside to see that it the sun was setting and he found himself getting quite tired now that he was thinking about it. "Well after what has happened I feel like I need a nice long nap." He said and everyone on the table just looked at him. "What? Having a nap and being unconscious are two different things!" He pointed out.

Rex got up and was accompanied by the Pokemon who were present, Locke, Erza, Lucy and Happy and they all walked towards his house. As they did so, Locke was interested in one thing. He couldn't sense any Magic coming from him and was curious to know what some of the things he said what they actually meant. "This looks like a nice place you got Rex. I'm impressed!" Locke said, admiring the place.

"Thank you." Rex's voice came from the living room and Locke saw him holding a strange device in his hand, that had a colour scheme resembling his own. "If you're curious then just ask away Locke. I was wondering how long you were going to wait until you asked it."

Locke felt his jaw drop and was impressed at how he managed to read his mind and began with the most obvious question to ask. "Who are you and where are you really from?" He asked, despite having a hundred other question this seemed like the most logical one or two. _How smart is he?_

Rex grinned visibly as he began his story of how he really got his powers and that it wasn't a Multitype Take Over, but rather as a result of the power granted by the God of creatures called Pokemon who went by the name of Arceus and how it was not Rex's job to gather all the Plate and save the universe. He also went into a bit more detail about his powers and the explanation behind the Legendary Forme.

It was amazing to Locke, and the idea of having that great a power made him feel glad that he wasn't the one doing it. "I'd never have thought for a second that you were from another world. Just out of curiosity how far are you in completing your task?" He asked.

"Halfway there. I have access to 10 out of the 18 Pokemon types." Rex answered, making a mental count in his head.

"So then when you went Yveltal at the Tower of Heaven...?" Locke asked seriously and Rex's face fell.

"I assumed the Forme of a Legendary, but some of them have a violent nature and it can have a mental effect on me." Rex nodded in sadness and turned his attention to Greninja who was coming through with a cardboard box. _Those are some of my things! _He thought in surprise.

"I found this next to the bed." Greninja stated. "It came with a note from Palkia. _Whilst you were unconscious I managed to gather some of your stuff. Hope you don't mind it. _Signed Palkia." He read out and Rex began looking through some of the stuff that the space dragon had retrieved for him, with the most notable being a trophy that featured a five pointed star and a small ribbon on it. It made Rex grin and tears of joy were streaming from his face. "Oh I remember you you beauty. I forgot about you and never want to do so again!" He cheered.

"What is that thing?" Happy asked.

"It looks like a trophy." Lucy guessed.

"You're right. It's a trophy to celebrate me becoming the Champion of Unova. I won this a few years ago. You do so by beating the Elite Four and the Champion of a region, they are easily the strongest Trainers." Rex explained and everyone was surprised at that information.

"Seriously? That's amazing." Lucy replied and was awestruck by that.

"You liiiike him." Happy teased her.

"NO I DON'T YOU STUPID CAT, NOW GO OUT!" Lucy shouted, despite the fact that it was Rex who was renting out the place and he sighed. Erza was about to hit Happy on the head but Lucy had picked him up and place him on a window ledge. "Hey, what's this?" She asked and picked up a piece of paper.

Happy remembered what it was and turned back to face her. "Oh that's right I was supposed to give that to you." He said.

Lucy sat down as Rex began to sort through more of his stuff and pulled them. Not much of it was that significant apart from a few things. One was a picture of his parents, another was a larger photo of all the pokemon he had captured and there was a dozen of them in the picture. And there was also a DVD in there that made his face light up. "What's this?" She asked Happy.

"It's a flyer for the Harvest Festival. It's a yearly event and plenty of people gather here." Happy explained. "Take a look down further." He pointed to something else.

"Miss Fairy Tail contest?" Lucy asked, confusingly.

"Aye. And the winner gets 500,000 Jewel." Happy said with pride.

"That's a lot of money." Locke said and was surprised by the reward.

"This is enough to pay six months of the rent!" Lucy gasped and made a decision. "Of course I'll enter it!"

Erza grinned. "Then you'll be competing too?" She asked her.

Lucy then looked downtrodden and depressed. _Of course Erza would be in it and also there is Mirajane. She's a model who works for Sorcerer Weekly and Erza's got many different Requippable outfits at her disposal. _She thought but then began saying them out loud. "But my presence makes me the underdog and I'm younger than her which gives me more of a chance!" She concluded.

Everyone was staring at her outburst in silence. "Well then I'm glad you're going to take part as well Lucy." Erza congratulated her and Lucy's fears about losing the contest increased even more.

"You know what I think we should do? Hold a tournament to find out who is the strongest member in Fairy Tail. It would be fun to see where you stand Lucy." Happy said and Lucy gulped. "It would be tough this year, with the likes of Erza, Rex and Laxus."

Rex snorted. "That jerk doesn't have anything on me." He stated.

"What about Salamander?" Locke asked the blue cat.

Happy then told the three members in the room of the last time Natsu challenged Laxus to a fight a year ago and perhaps predictably Natsu lost very easily. Lucy imagined an image of Laxus shocking Natsu with sadistic joy.

"I really don't want to know where I stand now." Lucy complained.

* * *

**Nighttime, Shirotsume Town**

To the north of Shirotsume Town lies a Dark Guild known as Ghoul Spirit. The Guild Hall was a castle like structure that was smaller than Fairy Tail and had a gate surrounding it. The trees in the immediate vicinity had died out, but they weren't of any concern to the Guild.

One of their forefront members was knocked to the ground and a deceptively calm voice spoke up. "You were laughing at us, weren't you?" He asked calmly.

Another one, with something covering part of his face appeared and accompanied by five floating objects then attacked a person. "Come on now, let's have some fun." He said darkly.

"Fun. Fun." The floating objects repeated in a tinny voice.

A pair of Mages began running forwards and they shouted, "You won't escape this Guild with your lives!" And focused on the female member of the Group.

"Oh my, what is the world coming too?" She asked and then moved her glasses upwards and her eyes flashed a rainbow of colours and focused on the two running forwards, turning them to stone. "Ghoul Spirit, a Guild that is hiding the shadow, is trying to take on a legal Guild." She tutted.

"What the hell? She turned them to stone!" One of the members gasped and the remaining members present were all wiped out by the floating dolls.

"That's enough Bickslow, we're going now." The calm man stated.

"What already? But my babies want to have some fun!" Bickslow complained.

"I'm surprised that they managed to form a Guild, they were all quite weak anyway. I guess it's no wonder then that they can't do things legally." The woman tutted and slid her glasses down delicately again.

"You're going to get your fun soon Bickslow. Laxus has the perfect thing in mind." The green haired man stated and covered his right eye with his left hand and revealed a green Guild Mark on the back of his hand.

"Oh you mean we're finally going to initiate what Laxus has been planning Freed?" Bickslow grinned. "Cuz me and my babies are raring to go!" He then stuck his tongue out to reveal a black Guild Mark on the tongue.

"Yes, so I the lovely Evergreen can finally usurp the Queen of the Fairies!" Evergreen introduced herself vainly and lowered her fan to reveal a green Guild Mark on her right bosom.

One of the Ghoul Spirit Mages then widened his eyes in horror as he recognized them. "Wait a second! I know those three insanely strong Mages! They're all members of The Thunder Legion - Laxus' personal bodyguards!" He cried out and trembled in fear.

Elsewhere on the outskirts of Magnolia Town a pleased Laxus was looking over the Town and thinking to himself. "The Thunder Legion are coming back. Perfect, the time to strengthen Fairy Tail is now. You hear that old man? Your days are numbered!" Laxus smirked and he widened his eyes.

* * *

**3 Days Later**

As the Harvest Festival drew nearer and the preparations by everyone in Fairy Tail and the whole of Magnolia were going on, everyone seemed to be brimming with more energy than usual. Even some of the calmer ones like Gray and Juvia seemed to be showing a bit more energy and as a result fights were becoming increasingly more frequent, and the result was that Rex and Erza had to break up those fights. Magnolia Town certainly became a lot more decorated as a result and in the more open areas there were all sorts of stalls popping up.

Mirajane was walking with the Master, and both of them were carrying decorations in preparation for the Miss Fairy Tail Contest. "It's nice to see the whole Town getting into the Harvest Festival this year." Mirajane noted.

Makarov nodded in agreement. "Well that's to be expected. The Harvest Festival is one of the greatest events to Fairy Tail, aside from the S-Class Exams." He agreed with her.

Mirajane then remembered something and stopped suddenly. "Oh that's right, I forgot. This year Laxus will be attending too! Isn't that great!" She smiled and then stopped walking when she didn't hear a reply from Makarov, who had fallen silent from the news.

_Laxus is here? That can't be a good sign. He hasn't attended a Harvest Festival for the past few years. Why does he have to come back to Fairy Tail now of all times? _Makarov thought and began remembering a time when Laxus was the same age as when Erza, Gray and Natsu joined the Guild.

**8 or more years ago, Magnolia Town**

_The Fantasia Parade was in full swing now and Makarov was going to watch it along with his grandson Laxus. Back then Laxus' hair was short and spiked all over the place and he wore a blue shirt with a red collar and a yellow lightning bolt on it and a pair of dark red shorts. "Come on Gramps, we're gonna miss the Fantasia Parade!" Laxus shouted out enthusiastically._

_Makarov was walking down patiently and also seemed to be in high spirits. "Now don't worry Laxus, there is plenty of time left!" He said and despite Laxus' running he kept up with no real difficulty._

_Laxus kept on running towards the parade only to be stopped by the grown up people in front of him and he jumped up several times but was still unable to see the parade itself. By that time Makarov had caught up to him and he turned back to his grandfather. "I can't see!" Laxus complained._

"_Aww, now that's a shame!" Makarov sympathised with him before miraculously thinking of a great idea and picked up Laxus, then put him in his shoulder and made his body larger with his Titan Magic. "There now, isn't that better?" He asked with a goofy smile on his face._

_Laxus seemed almost afraid at the idea of falling off of Makarov but once he was safe he began looking at the Fairy Tail members and cheering them on too in admiration. "Someday I'm going to be a member of Fairy Tail too Gramps!" He said out loud._

"_That's so nice of you Laxus. Fairy Tail Mages are pretty cool aren't they?" Makarov asked his grandson, and Laxus nodded in agreement._

**Present Day**

Makarov continued thinking about this for a moment and heard Mirajane call out his name and then turned his attention back to her. "Don't worry about it Mirajane, let's focus more on the Harvest Festival and getting the Miss Fairy Tail Contest ready." He said and Mirajane nodded and began heading off towards the Fairy Tail Guild.

Elsewhere in the town Rex Vermend was watching as Greninja had three cupcakes and after taking off the casing and was juggling them and then threw them one by one into the air and managed to get each one into his throat without chewing them, receiving some weird stares from the people around them, and they produced three cupcake shapes in the throat.

"Let me help you out you idiot." Rex sighed and jumped out to deliver a powerful Karate Chop to his head and the three cupcakes crashed down into his stomach.

Greninja burped. "Oops, excuse me. Triple chocolate tastiness though." He said and drooled a little bit from his mouth.

Greninja then opened his mouth and Rex clamped it shut. "Do not start screaming 'chocolate' Greninja or you will be on the receiving end of a Thunder. Got it?" He said calmly and a shivering Greninja nodded in agreement. After Greninja took off the find Gallade, Rex turned his attention to Locke.

The newest member of Fairy Tail was currently observing one of the game stalls where you could win a prize and the objective of the game was simple, knock down all the bottles in three throws. "One ball please, it's all I'll ever need." Locke stated with confidence and handed over 100J to a startled owner who only gave him one white baseball. Taking a moment to observe before taking aim and throwing it to the left hand corner with a fastball that rebounded off of the wooden side and then hit the remaining bottles that were still standing and caught it much to a stunned stall owner.

"I'll take the small prize." Locke said and was handed a plush that was in the form of a Vulcan.

Erza Scarlet was there watching him with an impressed look on her face. "I thought you had missed the bottles. I'm impressed at your accuracy." She said.

Locke turned and smiled at her. "Thank you, and take this as a gift from me to you." He said and held out the plush Vulcan out.

"Unfortunately there would be some people here who wouldn't like it. So I have to decline your offer." Erza replied and shook her head. Out of the corner of her eyes she had seen Rex glaring at Locke and decided to take the best possible action.

Gray, Lucy and Juvia were all standing from a distance and all looked on as they saw the scene before them and decided not to do anything about it. Rex and Locke would sort it out in their own time and turned their attention to the Harvest Festival itself. "I've never seen Magnolia this crowded before!" Lucy observed with some surprise.

In the background Rex and Locke were involved in a comical chase over offering Erza a token gift. "Yeah, this _is _the most important event in Magnolia, so people would come from a long way just to see it." Gray said and then looked back at Rex and Locke who were still playing cat and mouse, and he sweatdropped. "It would also appear that Rex is getting a bit overprotective of her." He observed silently as Erza walked over to join the group.

Another person walked over. "Hey Gray, nice to see you after being away for a while." It was Warren Rocko, who was holding a tied up sack over his shoulder. "Uh, don't forget to put some clothes on while you're at it." He pointed out.

Gray looked down and realised that his top half was naked once again. "When did I take them off?" He cried out and began looking for him. It was just as well that he moved because Locke's body was thrown and landed where Gray used to be, and his head had a small lump on it.

"Well that's sorted." Rex calmly stated and they walked over.

"Juvia, Locke, I'd like you to meet Warren Rocko and he's also a Master of Telepathy. So why'd you come back?" Gray asked, having found his orange shirt and dark blue coat with a hood and put them back on.

"For the festival, what else? I can't wait to see the Miss Fairy Tail Contest this year." Warren stated.

That jerked a memory within Lucy. "Oh dear god I forgot all about that! Gotta run!" She cried and then dashed off towards the Guild Hall.

As soon as Juvia saw that Lucy was taking part in this a dark blue aura surrounded her. "Contest? With her competing in it? I refused to be outdone by that bimbo!" She declared angrily.

"So then I take it you're going to take part in it as well?" Gray asked before she ran off in pursuit of her love rival.

Rex then turned to face Erza once he felt safe to talk. "You'd better get going to Erza. It would be a shame to not see you entering this, because I might not know who to vote for." He said with fake disappointment and she caught on the implications of him voting for someone else and gave Rex a glare, but he kept his cool and she went off towards the Guild Hall and thought about what to do too.

Some time later everyone who was interested in the Miss Fairy Tail Contest had gathered inside the Guild Hall and they began cheering even before the contest began. The host of the Contest this year was Max Alors, a Sand Magic user who had a beige bowl undercut and a pointed nose. He wore a purple costume with an orange bow tie and held a microphone. "Welcome everyone to the Miss Fairy Tail Contest!" He announced and the crowd began cheering.

"I'm surprised that you're watching this." Gray noted as he sat at the same table as Natsu, Happy and Elfman.

"That's because I'm a man!" Elfman declared adamantly and Happy was eating on some meat.

"Entry number one! A woman with a bottomless stomach for alcohol - Cana Alberona!" He stated as she took to the stage in an appealing way and she was met with cheers from plenty of her fans. "Now show us some of your Magic!" Max said.

Cana took out a deck of cards and they all began spinning around her. "What could she be doing under those cards?" Max asked, playing along to get the audience excited. When it finished it revealed her in a two piece swimsuit. "She's changed into a sexy swimsuit!"

Cana then smiled at the crowd. "The money can go to covering my tab." She announced.

"A swimsuit?!" A shocked Lucy said from behind the scenes.

"Not bad…" Erza muttered, and she was observing as well. Lucy thought about her rent money going away.

"Entry number two! She may be a newcomer to the Guild, but rain or shine she has plenty of strength to back her up. Presenting Juvia Lockser!" Max shouted and Juvia appeared waving modestly at the whole crowd.

"My darling Gray I hope that you notice me!" She stated and then water began flowing elegantly from her arms and body. Then a wave splashed up and it revealed her in a blue two piece swimsuit. "Take a look upon me Gray, do you like what you see?" She asked.

"Not only does her body make a splash but her swimsuit is also ready for a day at the beach!" Max announced with enthusiasm and the crowd cheered for her as well.

"More sex appeal?" Lucy asked in outrage and Erza nodded in agreement.

"Entry number three!" Max shouted before dropping into a quieter voice and shaking in anticipation. "She's stolen the hearts of many from all over Fiore. She's a lady who needs no introduction!" He then jumped backwards to cast the light on Mirajane who received the most cheers from the crowd thus far and looked to be the favourite to win the contest. "Now show off your Magic!" He shouted.

"Well speciality is Transformation Magic." She announced and then placed her hands over her face and then it became just like Happy. "This is my Happy face, aye!" She said in a higher pitched tone in an attempt to imitate him and was met with cheers. Mirajane wasn't done yet though and then her face began to change into something that wasn't met with the same reception. "This is my Gajeel face!"

"What the-?" Gajeel shouted from the back, and was eating a piece of cutlery to take his mind off of the contest.

Happy was laughing his head off at the funny impression whilst most of the others weren't so thrilled with the prospect of seeing her imitate Gajeel. "Well it's good to see that someone is enjoying it." Gray noted.

"I think she just threw her chances away." Lucy giggled somewhat vainly and Erza agreed with her.

"Entry number four! Also known by the names of the Fairy Queen and Titania…" Max began.

_That's my cue! _She realised and then ran around the curtain and jumped skillfully on to the stage.

"Erza Scarlet!" Max shouted and there was just as much cheering for her as there was for Mirajane though she spotted Rex looking on expectedly. She took a deep breath and then began to change her outfit which created a light pink whirlwind that burst out from all around her and Rex had to steel himself after it spread out to reveal her in a gothic lolita costume, greatly shocking Lucy.

"I didn't expect something so different." Macao said and was stunned into silence from the change and Reedus made notes.

_Woah, talk about daring. She's definitely going to win for sure! _Rex thought and felt himself blushing, which also made Erza feel more confident in winning the contest.

"Entry number five! She may just be the smartest member of the Guild, give it up for Levy McGarden!" Max shouted as he pointed towards the member in question.

"Levy!" Jet and Droy shouted at the same time, clearly favouring her.

"**Solid Script!**" Levy shouted and a turquoise Seal appeared then several words appeared out of thin air and were accompanied by an effect of sorts. One of those was the word Flower and several different flower head appeared beside it.

"Entry number six! The sniper with her eyes set on your heart - Bisca Mulan!" Max Alors introduced and she held in her hands four coins with hearts on them and then threw them all up into the air.

"**Requip!**" She shouted and a rifle appeared in her hands. "The Gunner." She stated confidently and then fired a hole through the middle of every coin and caught them in her hand, presenting each one in between her fingers. Alzack in particular seemed to be impressed by this.

Lucy was getting more and more nervous as each entry went and came. She had to think of something quick or she would lose her rent. "Entry number seven! A rookie Mage whose spirits always shine, welcome Lucy H-!" Max began but was interrupted.

"NO!" Lucy cried out nervously and several people began chattering amongst themselves, with a few pointing out how she looked rather cute. If they had found out about her surname then she might not be able to actually win it, after all she was Lucky Lucy Heartfilia to a lot of people who didn't know her. After making a slightly nervous wave she turned her attention back to the crowd. "Me and my Celestial Spirits are going to perform a cheer for you!" She said and the crowd got ready.

As soon as she finished saying that however there was a voice that interrupted her. "Entry number eight!" A calmer female voice rang out and everyone turned to face her.

Lucy was annoyed at this as she began doing a cheer. "Hey! I'm doing a very important cheer right now could you not interrupt me! I need this for the money you know!" She began ranting as the slow steady steps of Evergreen rang out.

Evergreen has light brown hair, dark brown eyes and visible pink lips. She wears oval glasses and has her hair tied up in a sidewards ponytail. Evergreen also wore a green dress with a set of removable wings on it and dark blue stockings as well as white sandals. She carried a purple feathered fan that she was using to hide her face.

"What are you doing Evergreen!" Makarov demanded, not sure of what could happen next.

"A Fairy must be delicate as well as beautiful, am I not?" She addressed the crowd before turning to Lucy. "I'm sorry, but who are you again? I didn't expect an uncouth commoner like you to be a member of this Guild?" She asked and turned towards her.

"Lucy! Don't look into her eyes!" Gray warned.

Alas it was too late for her as Evergreen's eyes flashed and Lucy gasped shortly before being petrified. There was dead silence before Max turned to address the crowd. "Everyone, get out of here!" He shouted in desperation and the majority of the people began fleeing in fear of being turned to stone as well.

"What's the meaning of this. You're scaring them all away!" Makarov shouted.

Laxus was the one to answer that, with a dramatic entry illuminated by a flash of lightning. "I thought that was the idea old man." He smirked and then the others looked around him.

Bickslow stood on top of the second floor railing. He was a tall man with a mildly muscular build and broad shoulders. Bickslow's upper body is covered in a dark, mildly fitting cloth covered in vertical white stripes, which extend up to his head to cover it in a tight hood, exposing only his hands and face. The upper part of the latter, however, was obscured by a metal visor which comes covered with eight small, elongated holes, with four of them in front of each of his eyes. He wore a pair of large armbands and the cloth had a skull on each one of the shoulder pads and his waist is covered by a large blue cloth with an X on it.

"Bickslow and Freed are also here too." Gray remarked, looking from one side to the other and seeing Freed looking down in disgust.

Freed is a slim man of average height with waist-length light-green hair; his bangs are brushed to one side, covering the majority of the right side of his face and a pair were jutting out upwards. He wore a distinctive knee length red coat that also possessed a light collar and carried a sword on his brown belt. His looks were completed by a pair of loose light-colored pants tucked inside simple boots, each sporting a line of small buttons on their respective outer sides.

"So I have an idea. What don't we hold a contest, the Battle of Fairy Tail! With all of Magnolia Town serving as the battlefield." Laxus proposed, arm around the statue of Lucy and the curtain dropped to reveal that all the other female Mages participating in the Miss Fairy Contest were also petrified including Erza. "It's simple enough."

"All you have to do is beat us within 3 hours and not a second more." Evergreen stated and put up three fingers.

Bickslow began to chuckle. "Yeah and don't worry about it because there is like 4 of you and a hundred of us." He added, but every smart person within the Guild knew that numbers didn't mean anything and his tiki dolls floated next to him.

"We laugh at you, we laugh at you." The tiki dolls chanted.

"Return everyone else to normal right now Laxus!" Rex shouted and took several steps forwards.

"Oh and I almost forgot something!" Laxus said, and above him a yellow Seal appeared. "I'm taking these stone statues hostage, so don't even think about breaking the rules of this contest!"

"Laxus please, stop!" Makarov begged in horror and a bolt of lightning hit the floor next to Lucy.

"Didn't you forget what happened last time blondie?" Rex asked and shifted into the Earth Plate, making Laxus turn his attention to him. "I do, last time I was beating your lightning and I can easily take you on when it comes to a fist fight!" He added and then started using Earthquake, making the entire building shake.

_This is a weird feeling, it's like everything is going to fall apart. _Locke stated and saw the look of anger and disgust on Rex's face. This was also making the statues rock a bit.

Laxus began to laugh and stepped back. "Careful! You wouldn't want this to break would you!" He shouted and pushed Lucy a tiny bit but it began rocking more so than the other statues. Rex saw this and calmed down, though it took him some effort doing so and it acted like nothing else ever happened.

Makarov had just had enough of it and grew many time his height and muscle size. "That's enough Laxus, you've gone too far this time!" He roared at him.

"NOW NOW! SIMMER DOWN OLD MAN! THIS IS ALL PART OF THE FESTIVAL!" Laxus shouted and Makarov backed down, but was still not happy about the fact that this was happening in the first place.

On the contrary to being angry, Natsu seemed to get excited as he jumped up on a table. "I don't see anything wrong with that. This is a festival, there should be games!" He said with a grin.

"Glad you could see it my way!" Laxus replied and watch as Natsu charged forwards again.

"You and me right now Laxus! I was just a kid last time, I'm stronger now!" Natsu shouted and jumped recklessly at Laxus again and was then shocked by a bolt of lightning.

"That was last year Natsu." Gray said right before he got shocked and him along with a number of others still remaining facepalmed at the situation.

Laxus laughed at his stupidity. "That's why you'll never win Natsu. The battle of Fairy Tail starts now." He declared before disappearing in a bright yellow flash. After several minutes there was shouts of agreement for many to take part in the battlefield and most of the remaining Mages began running outside of the Hall in search of the Thunder Legion.

A frustrated Alzack looked at the statue of Bisca. "Don't worry I will save you." He muttered quietly to himself before running out.

"That is it! LAXUS YOU HAVE GONE TOO FAR, WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU YOU'LL RECEIVE THE WORST PUNISHMENT YET!" Makarov shouted in a deep voice and began running out but hit an invisible wall just as he was about to go there.

Gray stopped and turned around to face him. "Why'd you stop?" He ask. Makarov pushed against the invisible barrier and couldn't push through, so Gray picked him up and tried pulling him through. That didn't work either and then a glow of purple light came from above. "What's that?"

Several rows of purple symbols appeared and Rex came out of his stupor and also began running toward the exit to see what was going on. "Do you understand what this says?" He asked.

Makarov looked at it. "This is one of Freed's Enchantments. It says _Stone statues and anyone over the age of eighty are not allowed to cross this barrier._" He read out. "Enchantments are no good in a head on battle, but if they are set up before the barrier takes place…"

"Then they're all set up as traps." Rex punched the wall and was surprised to see that he couldn't pass as well and then more writing revealed itself. He didn't understand it but he was pretty sure that it meant something to him. "And this?"

"_The person known as Rex Vermend cannot pass until one of the Thunder Legion has been defeated._" Makarov translated.

Rex scowled and began punching the barrier out of sheer frustration. "Damnit, of course that bastard would think about a rule to stop me. He's really confident then to say that one of the Thunder Legion has to go down before the restrictions are lifted."

Gray was silent. "So we really have to do this on our own then. Don't worry about any of us Gramps we can take care of ourselves." He assured him before leaving.

Makarov was considering something until he saw that Reedus was still there and hiding behind a pillar, looking scared. "You're still here?" He asked and he inkling of a plan began to fall into place.

"Oui." An ashamed Reedus said. "I know that I would easily get beaten if I took part." He admitted with an ashen face.

Makarov shook his head in understand. "It's okay Reedus, I want you to go and find Porlyusica and tell her to come here. She might have a cure for petrification." He explained calmly and Reedus set off towards her house.

Elsewhere in Magnolia Town, Alzack was looking through the streets to find the Thunder Legion and defeat them as quickly as possible where he eventually ran into Jet and Droy. "You find anything yet?" A mad Alzack asked them angrily.

"Nothing." Jet replied, keeping calm.

"Damnit! I don't get why they had to do that to Bisca and others!" Alzack shouted out of anger.

Jet and Droy were both slightly unnerved by what that. "Take it easy Alzack. We got to stay calm and find the Thunder Legion without being reckless." Jet replied and Alzack took a few breaths. Then the three of them all heard a strange buzzing and saw two lines of purple symbols run around them and then several rows appeared in the air.

"It says, 'Only the wizard who proves himself worthy shall pass'. It's one of Freed's Enchantments. Forcing us to fight however is a dirty trick!" An irritated Jet shouted but they both heard a click from behind them.

"I'm sorry for what I'm about to do, but I have no other choice!" Alzack declared and then fired several shots at both Jet and Droy, but they dodged it and both thought that it was going to be pointless fighting him.

Jet then dashed forwards with his Speed Magic and knocked Alzack into the air which made it easier for him and he fired several more Magic Bullets from his Guns. "**Guns Magic: Spark Shot!**" Alzack declared and fired a powerful electric bullet at both of them.

"**Knuckle Plant!**" Droy said as he threw several half a dozen seeds on the ground and they all sprang up to intercept the Spark Shot meant for him and Jet simply used his Speed Magic to avoid the attack. Droy used Knuckle Plant again but Alzack avoided it and jumped on top of each of the plants that sprang up in mid air and gained a lot of height.

The gun barrels began glowing orange and then Alzack fired a powerful shot from each one that Magically pierced through their bodies and they were both defeated. A cross between a buzz and a hum sounded in the air and the restrictions vanished, and Alzack began walking away, and looked away in horror at what he had done. "My friends, please forgive me."

That wasn't the only battle of course. In a quieter street several of the people at the cafe were also discussing their actions. "Have you heard from several others that members from Fairy Tail are fighting each other?" One of them said.

"No, why would they be doing that?" Another one asked.

"Do you think that they're doing something for the parade?" A younger person asked.

"Hmm, I haven't a clue. Considering their behaviour who knows what they're planning." The first one said and left it up in the air.

Right at that moment the bar from behind them exploded and two members from that Guild burst through, locked in combat. It was Vijeeter and Nab, the former of whom landed gracefully and then jumped up onto the roof of the building.

Nab pursued him and his arms were enveloped in a red light. "Stop running and start fighting me Vijeeter!" He shouted and charge forwards, but his attack was dodged again.

"Even though we're friends I won't let that stop me!" Vijeeter said and crouched for the next attack.

In another street Warren Rocko and Max Alors were facing off each other in a battle and neither looked to gain the upper hand, mainly due to the fact that Warren could know what Max was going to do next with his Telepathy. It eventually ended with Warren winning.

The text in the Guild Hall changed and both Makarov and Rex were watching as the title now read out Battle of Fairy Tail Status Update. Jet vs Droy vs Alzack - Jet and Droy KO, Nab vs Vijeeter - Vijeeter KO, Max Alors vs Warren Rocko - Warren KO. There was also a counter to show how many participants there were in the Battle as well and it was currently in double figures, but the downside was that it was going down as the number of participants were whittling down.

"Alright Laxus WHERE ARE YOU?!" Natsu shouted and he suddenly woke up.

"Oh you're awake Natsu!" Happy said and was glad to see his best friend awake.

"He's nowhere right now. Laxus disappeared after holding those statues and now everyone in Fairy Tail is fighting each other! Makarov and I cannot get out right now, but you can!" Rex replied. "And right now you're our only hope aside from Gray!" He added, raising his voice.

That motivated Natsu. "Alright! I ain't gonna let Gray out do me this time." Natsu said and charged… only to hit into the invisible wall straight on. Everyone present felt their jaw drop. "Hey! What the hell is up with this stupid thing?" He growled and pushed hard against the barrier to no effect.

"No way! You're joking right!" Rex exclaimed and Happy began moving across the barrier to check if it was working properly. He could get across but for some reason Natsu couldn't get through and a swarm of red symbols appeared where he was pressing against the barrier.

"Don't tell me you're over eighty years old now are you?" Makarov demanded comically.

"I'd know if I was over eighty now wouldn't I?" Natsu protested.

Rex looked up to see if the battle report had changed and saw several things that concerned him. "Now that we've figured out that you can't cross the barrier can we please focus back on this? I don't know why but this doesn't look good at all." He pointed to an update.

"Gray Fullbuster versus Bickslow - Gray KO'ed. Freed Justine versus Reedus Jonah - Reedus Jonah KO'ed." Makarov read out and felt himself trembling from anger again. "Currently in progress - Elfman versus Evergreen."

"We don't have to worry about that, Elfman is a strong person. He should be able to win this fight." Rex noted, trying to remain positive in what looked like an increasingly awful situation.

The air behind them shimmered and an image of Laxus appeared. "So you're putting all that faith into one person who barely defeated a member of the Element Four. That's why you're losing your grip old man, you put your faith into weak members of the Guild." It said and flickered slightly. Natsu charged forwards only to pass through and hit the wooden pole beside him.

"That's a Thought Projection, you won't be able to hurt him in that state." Happy pointed out although Natsu didn't seem to care.

"What do you want Laxus?" Makarov asked.

Laxus grinned at the fact that Makarov was willing to talk to him. "I want you to announce your resignation of course. It will be heard across the whole Town that you'll give up ownership of this Guild to me." He then looked at Natsu. "You think I'm bluffing about killing those stone statues Natsu? Ask Rex what happened when he tried to call it. With the three of you out of the way this will be a piece of cake!"

Elfman was running around the Town, defeating any members who stood in his way as he wanted to get his sister back to normal and still had no luck in finding the members of the Thunder Legion until he came across Evergreen. She was standing by a flower shop and Elfman proceeded to ran towards her. "A real man would not be holding my sister hostage!" He shouted and missed, crashing into said flower shop.

"My my." She said and touched the ground again after avoiding the attack. "How did such an ugly person like you get into the Guild?" Evergreen asked then took note of the flowers in the air. "Is this for me? How nice."

Elfman got up and faced her. "Return my sister back to normal!" He demanded and had to shut his eyes to avoid being turned to stone. Then she blew him away again with her fan but Elfman managed to hang on and then blindfolded himself.

Evergreen almost laughed. "You're going to beat we whilst blindfolded?" She asked out of sheer amusement and stood not too far from him, but then she had to avoid a punch from Elfman and then another one. "Of course, that incredible sense of smell that comes with your Take Over. The only thing that is cute about your name." She admitted.

Then she began flying and scattering glowing golden particles. "But if there is more overpowering scent in the area then it can cover my scent with ease. So your sense of smell cannot do anything against my Fairy Dust." She proclaimed before scattering more dust particles. "**Fairy Bomb: Gremlin!**" She chanted and then many explosions occurred as the particles ignited and they were all enough to defeat Elfman and remove his blindfold.

Once she was certain of his defeat, Evergreen saw that his eyes were open. "A statue of a hideous monster can become a beautiful when it is turned to stone." She stated before using her Stone Eyes on him to turn him to stone.

Back at the Guild Hall, Rex switched to the Mind Plate and was surprised to see that it acted as an automatic translator for the text. "Elfman versus Evergreen - Elfman KO'ed." he read out and then turned to face Laxus who laughing even harder than before.

"This is what happens when you put your trust into those people." Laxus laughed.

"Laxus, stop this right now!" Makarov pleaded.

"Then all you have to do is resign within the next hour and 45 minutes old man, before the petrified girls turn to dust." Laxus added and Rex felt his anger spike again. Then a loudspeaker appeared. "You'll make it through this speaker." He stated before the projection flickered and then faded into nothingness.

Makarov didn't make a move from his spot. "It's not that I don't want to give up the title. It's just that Laxus is the last person I trust to handle the responsibilities of the Guild too." He admitted out loud and then everyone heard a crunching noise from behind them near one of the bars and they all saw Gajeel stuffing his face with metal.

"Where were you this whole time?" Makarov demanded. "You need to be out there!"

Gajeel grinned. "Finally, I heard enough. I'm only going to do this for myself regardless of what happened." He smirked and ran towards the exit, colliding with the invisible barrier just like Natsu had, shocking everyone but Rex.

"You know I was wondering if that might have happened." Rex said after he had tried again.

"What kind of crap is this?" Gajeel complained and he saw Happy going through the barrier like it was nothing and got irritated.

Rex continued to read the wall of text. "This is not good by any means, it says that there are only eight of us left. We really are stuck between a rock and a hard place aren't we? Hey! Look at this. Currently in progress - Laki Olietta versus Locke Johansson."

Down in the southern part of Magnolia, Locke was heading towards the park area with the intention of hoping to draw out any one of the members of the Thunder Legion in the open space but saw no members of the group. Rather he came across a short purple haired girl with a bowl cut and wearing a large red ribbon. "Another stranger coming here to do arms with me?" Laki asked and got ready to fight him.

"Woah, calm down there. I'm more concerned about the Thunder Legion. Thanks to Freed's Enchantments we've all played along in this stupid game." Locke said, though he was expecting a battle to take place here between them after seeing several of the battles play out. He had employed a smarter tactic and hid in the less used areas by other members and waited it out to see how things would go.

"Right now that worry diminished until it was zero." Laki stated and took on an offensive stance as a circular line surrounded the entire park. "_The wizard who proves themselves in a trial by combat shall be able to carry on their task._" She read out.

Locke was annoyed, since fighting her would use up Magic and that meant he would also be weakened when facing one of the Thunder Legion. "Damnit Freed! What twisted person makes their own friends fight!" He shouted out loud.

"**Wood Make: Violent Approach!**" Laki chanted and created a giant spiked ball out of wood that she hurled towards Locke who dove to one side and avoided it. Barely, because it was fast and he felt the air swish next to him. Laki looked briefly surprised and fired several more, finally managing to hit him in the chest and was slammed into the barrier.

Locke got up. "Okay, that hurt. **Requip!**" He called and a golden glow came from his outstretched hands and within it appeared a bow. It was a smooth silver curved bow that looked vaguely like two smaller arrowheads and there were two shining dark blue parts in the middle. There was a golden ring on the outside of each end of the dark grey riser.

Then Locke pulled back and created a silver arrow made of Magic and fired several at Laki. "**Wood Make: Wood Wall!**" She chanted and a green seal appeared to create a wall of wood that blocked all of the arrows and a solid THUNK could be heard as each one of them hit it.

Looking to her side however Laki saw that Locke had already ran over and was preparing another arrow. "**Rocket Shot!**" He shouted and a small yellow Seal appeared in front of the riser which the arrow sailed through and was set alight. Laki created another Wood Wall but this time the arrow exploded heavily damaged the wall and a second broke it completely.

"How is that projectile an incendiary anyway?"Laki asked in awe, seeing all the scattered wood around her.

"It's simple. I use my Magic to light it up as it leaves the bow." Locke explained and fired several normal arrows at her. Laki's response was to use her Wood Make: Violent Approach Spell this time but Locke sidestepped it with ease. "**Rocket Shot!**" He called out and fired it at the second she sent hurtling towards him and it broke apart into several pieces.

Laki didn't like the way this was going. At this rate she would be losing and to make things worse she was already beginning to tire from her other battles as well so she knew she had to end this quickly. "**Wood Make: The Dam of Shy Love!**" She chanted and created at least a dozen different weapons, based on her room in Fairy Hills and they all spread out to give Locke little room.

"These bows are more than just for fancy decorations you know!" Locke shouted and began running in between the weapons which were several times the size of him and began firing arrows at either the joints of the weapon or any part of it that looked fragile and was then swept up by one of them and could feel some of the lost wind as he looked down.

"**Arrow Storm!**" He chanted and fired an arrow that spilt into a dozen other arrows that rained down on the weapons to varying degrees of effect and several of them fell to one side whilst another collapsed from the strain. After a while they all faded away.

"**Wood Make: The Distance between Two is Forever!**" Laki chanted and created multiple hands and feet on sticks that assaulted Locke and slammed him against the barrier. He fell but got up again.

_I have to this quickly, if I don't then I'll waste valuable Magic energy. Laki, I apologize for what will happen next. _Locke thought to himself and then his bow glowed a golden colour and separated into two small daggers that he held in a backhand style. He could see that Laki was panting heavily from the exertion, so one strike was all that was needed.

"I'm ending this now." He declared calmly. The edge of the daggers began glowing and Locke rushed towards Laki who tried to put up several Wood Walls to stop him. "**Cross Slash!**" He chanted and attacked the wood in an X formation, breaking it into several pieces and it fell apart. Then he struck Laki several times before reforming them back into a bow and firing a close range Rocket Shot that created an explosion.

When the smoke cleared Laki had been knocked out and Locke had kept his bow out and was expecting another person to come along and challenged him, probably a member of the Thunder Legion too. But he did sense plenty of Magic being expelled from the various fights that were taking place throughout Magnolia.

"Guess I gotta go back in there and hope for the best." Locke said and ran as fast as he could back into Magnolia and headed towards the Shopping district where he got onto one of the roofs and jumped to another on near a toy factory. "Still no sign of any of his Lightning chumps." He snorted.

"Lightning chumps, lightning chumps." Locke wheeled around to see a set of tiki dolls floating in the air. _Hang on a minute, weren't they with… _He never got to finish that statements as the five tiki dolls blast him onto the next roof and he looked up to see Bickslow on a higher building and grinning there.

"Well now, this is a surprise. You're the new guy correct?" Bickslow grinned and stuck out his tongue to reveal his black Guild Mark.

"Laki Olietta versus Locke Johansson - Laki Olietta KO'ed. Currently in progress, Bickslow versus Locke Johansson." Laxus read out from Kardia Cathedral. He had sensed the energy released from his rather short battle with the weak girl and it made him feel a bit less certain. _It doesn't matter, with Bickslow's Magic combination he's unbeatable. There is only an hour and a half old man, what the hell is taking this long? _He thought and let spark fly around him to serve as a reminder of how deluded the Fairy Tail weaklings were.

There were two more exceptional Mages that were also in Magnolia Town but neither of them were a part of Fairy Tail. The first of them was Ultear who was still dressed in the same attire as she had been when she last saw Rex but had tied her hair back in a pony tail and had seen some of the fighting. There was one person of particular concern to her, and she had hoped to find him.

_Where are you Rex? _She thought and then moved towards the outskirts of the town and one of her orbs came back and showed a picture of the Guild Hall, with Rex in. _He's bound by an Enchantment it would appear. Not to worry about that. _Ultear thought, and she heard a strange voice.

"Everyone seems to be interested in Rex Vermend from Erza Scarlet to the Magic Council and you Ultear." The voice had a robotic tone to it and she couldn't really identify who it belonged to, but was certain it was male.

Turning round there stood a person of average height and was dressed up considerably. He wore a large black cloak that covered his body, arms, legs and the back of his head and it was held by a grey scarf like accessory around the neck. His face was obscured by a round black mask and over the eyes were purple hexagonal shaped goggles. The mouth was covered by an oval with four grey lines that went into it and it was glowing faintly with a line that changed when he was speaking. The person also wore long black gloves on his hands and underneath that shabby looking cloak was a suit.

"You dressed in a way that really isn't suspicious at all. Why put up with those looks?" Ultear asked.

When he spoke the line distorted in response to the sound made. "Simple really. To hide my activities from the attention of the fools at the Magic Council. Though I will have to admit that your actions with Jellal definitely helped and I thank you for that." He stated and turned to look at her orb displaying the image. "As I said just now, everyone seems to be interested in him. Some more so than others." He added with a smirk on his face.

Ultear kept her calm composure but her right hand betrayed her with a twitch. "Don't be ridiculous. I don't have any personal feelings for him. My interest in him however is for other reasons."

The person seemed to chuckle as if he was humored by that reply and it felt . "What reasons would those be? Your own or Master Hades'?" He replied and Ultear remained silent, his face appeared to light up as if striking gold. "What? You think I never knew of that? My Master certainly was, and he wanted me to find you."

"If you're going to assault me I'd rather you give me your name beforehand and the Guild you work for." Ultear nearly demanded and her orb began buzzing angrily.

"Ha ha ha… fine. My name is Kelsier, though I prefer if you just call me Kell. I'll do better then tell, I'll show you." Kelsier grinned and his Guild Mark began glowing a lilac colour and Ultear didn't move. "GO ahead and report me to that old fool, he thinks he's the big bad of the land." Kelsier mocked and Ultear saw the grin underneath the mask.

The orb aside Ultear buzzed even more and multiplied into several more as if poised and ready to attack him. Kelsier stood and waited in silence, expecting the attack. _It seems that we both want Rex for different reasons. So are you going to force _his _hand? _He thought before Ultear fired several orbs at him and then a white orb appeared in one of the outstretched hands and he fired it at the orbs, and it blew up in silence.

"So this is the Arc of Time. Appropriate for your goals don't you think?" Kelsier taunted her and Ultear replied by using a Spell that sent several lines of orbs at him and he jumped backwards before a Seal appeared in front of him and a larger white orb was thrown at her feet and it exploded audibly throwing Ultear backwards and Kelsier let the orbs pound into the ground.

"I have an idea. You want to keep an eye on Rex Vermend correct?" Kelsier proposed and Ultear listened. "Neither of us interfere directly with his burden, but we can watch and that is it. You wouldn't want your Guild to get embroiled in a pointless war with mine? Or do we at least agree that this would put a serious dent in our respective plans if we both tried to convince him now?" He waited patiently as Ultear thought it over.

_Grr… he's smart. Even though I wanted to try and talk to him now. _Ultear scowled visibly and her orbs disappeared and the land beneath her was restored to it's former state. "Fine, since you obviously don't want a fight as much as I do, I will agree to do nothing to him now." She stated.

Kelsier seemed to smile at that. _Grimoire Heart will make their move soon anyway and I know for a fact that their plans will backfire. Ours is a much simpler task and can wait for a while longer. As long as we have the Holy Compass by then of course. _He thought with some satisfaction. "I guess that settles it then. Have your fun Ultear, time will catch up with you soon." Kelsier announced before making his departure and walking calmly away from the field.

The orb that was in the air next to her broke apart into several pieces and it reformed within the air again out of her rage. The way he talked to her was extremely condescending and really got on her nerves. Combined with his type of Magic also made it ironic that she was the one who blew up in front of him, even worse than a maxed out Explosion.

* * *

**That's a wrap. Hope you liked the fight between Locke and Laki, which in turn shortly lead to the next battle with a member of the Thunder Legion. Hope you're ready! And yes, I am aware that Gajeel gets attacked by Laxus after listening to Mirajane sing that ballad and not before. Don't complain about that please.**

**Next Time on Guardian Fairy - Lightning Round**

**The battle against the Thunder Legion is on and the first matchup is Locke and Bickslow. Can he overcome one of Laxus' personal elite with his Requip? What does Kelsier want?**


	23. Lightning Round

**I also meant to reply to Matt but forgot. There is another reason for Rex teasing Juvia, and anyone who guesses it gets a cookie! And I managed to write 15k words again. I cannot believe this! I checked once I finished the chapter.**

**Previously on Guardian Fairy -**

**Rex: **Laxus has gone too far this time! He set up the Battle of Fairy Tail which is a town wide contest to find the strongest members of Fairy Tail and we had to beat him and the Thunder Legion within three hours or the stone statues of the participants in the Miss Fairy Tail Contest will become toast, including Erza! To make things worse though, Makarov, Natsu and I are currently unable to join the battle due to an Enchantment and many of them were set up all over Magnolia. Locke also knows and after a battle now has to face on of the Thunder Legion.

* * *

**Chapter 23 - Lightning Round**

"Guess I gotta go back in there and hope for the best." Locke said and ran as fast as he could back into Magnolia and headed towards the Shopping district where he got onto one of the roofs and jumped to another on near a toy factory. "Still no sign of any of his Lightning chumps." He snorted.

"Lightning chumps, lightning chumps." Locke wheeled around to see a set of tiki dolls floating in the air. _Hang on a minute, weren't they with… _He never got to finish that statements as the five tiki dolls blast him onto the next roof and he looked up to see Bickslow on a higher building and grinning there.

"Well now, this is a surprise. You're the new guy correct?" Bickslow grinned and stuck out his tongue to reveal his black Guild Mark.

"Laki Olietta versus Locke Johansson - Laki Olietta KO'ed. Currently in progress, Bickslow versus Locke Johansson." Laxus read out from Kardia Cathedral. He had sensed the energy released from his rather short battle with the weak girl and it made him feel a bit less certain. _It doesn't matter, with Bickslow's Magic combination he's unbeatable. There is only an hour and a half old man, what the hell is taking this long? _He thought and let spark fly around him to serve as a reminder of how deluded the Fairy Tail weaklings were.

"You're right about that but in this case I'll be the one to defeat you." Locke stated and the dove backwards to avoid the incoming lasers from the tiki dolls and began aiming for them. He successfully destroyed two of them and then took several hits from the other three. "**Arrow Storm!**" He chanted and fired an arrow that split into a dozen more that destroyed the other tiki dolls and nearly hit Bickslow who leapt onto another part of the ledge.

"No-oooo-oooo! My babies!" Bickslow cried out and was sobbing. Then he stopped suddenly and began laughing out loud, sticking his tongue out again. "Psyche!" He grinned and from the Toy Store behind him erupted a bright green light that surprised Locke and five more objects, this time resembling dolls floated into the air and began laughing as if mocking him for his efforts. "Fire as many of those pointy things as you want, it won't make a difference!" Bickslow taunted him.

Locke was surprised at this turn of events and then avoided several more lasers that were shot at him, and now he understood what he was up against. "I recognise that Magic, it's Human Possession. A subset of Seith Magic correct?" He asked.

Bickslow and his dolls paused for a moment. "Mmm, you're actually very a smart person. Looks like someone has done their homework. Yeah that's right, and these objects all contain a human soul. It doesn't matter if you destroy the dolls, I have a whole army right back here!" He shouted gleefully and pointed to the store beneath him, then burst out into laughter.

The new set of dolls followed suit and began laughing. "All right baby. **Line Formation!** Let's go!" Bickslow grinned and they all stacked up on top of each other from head to toe and fired out a vertical blast of green energy at Locke and it cut through anything that came into contact with it. Looking aside him he saw that there was a large divided line.

"**Rocket Shot!**" Locke chanted and fired a blazing arrow at Bickslow.

"**X Formation!**" Bickslow commanded and the formed an X shape to block the arrow and saw that it had wavered slightly in light of explosion. _No messing around him huh. This could be seriously fun. _He thought.

Then Locke fired several more arrows towards Bickslow who jumped off onto another roof and the pair of them began pursuing each other across the rooftops and exchanging blows. Green energy and golden arrows met and collided and they got back down on the streets with Bickslow standing atop one of the sideways poles and Locke looking up at him from below. "You're still going to lose this fight buddy, even if your Requip is something else."

"Then I guess I have to change my game. **Requip!**" Locke chanted and his Silver Bow was glowing golden again. This time it had a radically different appearance and was much darker looking. The whole bow was mostly a dark purple colour and the right edge featured several crescent shaped grooves and each had one large eye design on the limbs. The eye itself was glowing in faint neon rainbow colours and there were two black oval shaped ridges around the grip.

"**Sonic Shot!**" Locke cried out and fired a black arrow towards Bickslow who dodged it but when it hit the roof behind him it let out a large screeching sound right behind him and then began covering the ears from the pain. This was followed up by a Rocket Shot that exploded directly in front of Bickslow and he fell down onto the street.

Bickslow's dolls swarmed in front of him in an X formation again and stopped Locke from getting any closer. "**Victory Formation!**" Bickslow chanted and they all formed a horizontal V formation. The middle one then fired a laser followed by the two next to them and then the two on the outside and Locke fired an arrow at the middle one but the other four still followed suit.

Locke ran into one of the alleys and the other lasers all followed suit, giving Bickslow enough time to jump up on the pole again and waiting for the sweet sounds of explosions and the new guy crying out in pain. Bickslow listened carefully and heard several explosions all in a row but there wasn't a single sound of what he was looking for. "Huh, what the hell is this crap?" He asked and jumped onto the roof of one of the buildings next to the alley.

"We don't know, we don't know." His dolls chanted, just as confused as he was and looked down into the dark alleyway.

Locke was slowly creeping around the building and climbed up on some railings on the opposite side that Bickslow was looking down from and landed on the roof without making so much as a whisper - a benefit of the Darkness Bow. "**Silent Rocket.**" He whispered and fired an arrow that didn't make a whisper as it flew through the air and nailed Bickslow from behind making him fall down.

"That was dirty you son of a-" Bickslow began as he got up and saw that no one was there. _Where did he go? _He wondered and jumped up high on to the roof and began looking around cautiously. "If you see anything move or fly through the air, shoot it!" He ordered his new dolls who surrounded him in a way to provide as much cover as possible and to force Locke out to fight him.

What Bickslow didn't expect to happen was for a voice to call out to him from somewhere nearby and after some consideration decided not to take off his helmet just yet, assuming that the new guy is just screwing around with him and was too cowardly to face him in the open. "Don't move Bickslow, I won't continue my fight with you just yet but I do want to know something from you. Why would you attack others from the Guild, your fellow members and friends?"

Bickslow tried to pinpoint the voice. "Over there!" He shouted and the bunny doll flew down to fire a burst of green energy at nothing. "Shut up! They aren't my friends, just weaklings who act like they're strong. Even now you're hiding because you don't have the guts to face me out in the open!" Bickslow shouted angrily.

Locke shook his head from his hiding place and called out to Bickslow again. "Really? But are you also doing this on Laxus' orders? He's the real enemy for Fairy Tail at the moment, so you just blindly follow him down a dangerous path?" He questioned and fired several arrows at the dolls destroying two of them.

"You know that won't work!" Bickslow retaliated as he transferred the souls to two more dolls from the Toy Store nearby.

"That's what's called a distraction. **Rocket Shot!**" Locke shouted and fired an arrow from behind and three of the dolls blocked it with a blast of green energy. Bickslow turned to face him and saw that he was standing one roof across from him.

"**Blitz Formation!**" Bickslow shouted and they all began swarming around and Locke tried to figure out how to best deal with this and they began circling him at a faster rate and then they released a field of electricity that shocked Locke and he fell to one knee and then they all returned back to him.

"Hehe, now you see what makes my Magic so strong. **Baryon Formation!**" Bickslow chanted with glee and he stuck his tongue out as the dolls all began a circle formation. Locke saw a bunny doll, a cowboy doll, a dancer doll, a goat doll and a doll that Locke didn't know what it looked like. They all began spinning and glowing a green colour before firing a large green laser at him that made the ground around him shake.

_Crap, that last attack was really strong. Can't recover enough. _Locke thought and then was surprised to see a large torrent of water bounce against the Spell and saw to his complete surprise Greninja standing on the roof across the street. "What happened at the Guild Hall?" He asked.

At the Fairy Tail Guild Hall, they were all watching the update as they saw that Locke had just encountered Bickslow and Natsu and Gajeel were punching the walls in hope of finding some sort of flaw with the Enchantment but couldn't. "I told you both a hundred times if you can't break through it then don't try!" An irritated Rex Vermend stated to the pair of them who were both taking a minute to recover.

"Come on man! When does it hurt to try again?" Natsu complained and then looked troubled. "Well I was hoping not to do it, but I guess I got no choice." He stated calmly and began walking back towards the stage with the rest of the group following in confusion.

After seeing Natsu lie the petrified Erza down on the floor and hold a fiery hand Rex began to look concerned. "Don't tell me you're going to try and melt the stone away are you?" He asked and took a step closer after seeing him nod. "You flaming idiot! That won't work because you'll burn Erza and what happens if you break the statue?"

"It's worth a try isn't it?" Natsu defended himself.

"Well I want to see what happens." Gajeel added, looking at Erza with a neutral face.

Makarov was siding with Rex on this one. "You fool! You're going to break the statue!" He shouted at him.

Happy unfortunately cast the deciding vote in favour of Natsu trying to use his fire to melt the statue. "Go for it Natsu!" He cheered on and both Makarov and Rex groaned.

"Alright, let's do this." Natsu grinned and Rex wondered for a moment if that was a perverted tendency he showed. Then he began trying to free Erza by placing it near her chest and after several minutes nothing happened until the statue suddenly cracked.

Everyone jumped up in panic, though Rex and Makarov appeared surprised as well that it was actually working. "Oh no! Was it too much? Quick, someone get the glue I'll put you back together Erza!" Natsu shouted quickly and began trying to find pieces of stone that did not exist.

The cracks spread across her face and everyone continued to panic until her body suddenly flashed a right light and it faded to reveal Erza, back to normal and looking somewhat dazed as if she had just had a strange dream. "What the? I saw… Natsu." She called his name out in a displeased tone and then Natsu shrank in size as Erza attacked him. "That was for trying to use your fire on me!" She shouted.

"You're okay! Thank goodness, but how did you break free of Evergreen's Magic? I didn't expect it to be because of Natsu anyway." Rex asked her and Gajeel was looking at her with some hesitancy.

Erza thought about it for a moment. "I think… it was because of my artificial eye. It must have halved the effectiveness of her Magic." She guessed and Rex nodded once. It made sense. Once Erza was informed of what was happening she clenched her fist. "I can't believe that Laxus is going this far." She scowled and clenched her fist.

"He's gone too far alright. Nothing's going to stop me from kicking his ass, family or not." Rex growled with an intense glare on his face that made Erza pause for a minute. Then he stopped and looked down on his belt. He took a Pokeball out of it and then sent out his Greninja. "Can't believe I didn't think of this earlier." Rex admitted and looked guiltily at Erza.

"That's okay, you were concerned for me and I would have done the same if you were in my position." She admitted in a whisper to him before turning to face the rest of the group. "So what is going to happen now?"

Makarov felt much more at ease knowing that two of Fairy Tail's strongest members were there to make things easier, especially because it was Laxus. "Our priority is to free the other girls and break this Enchantment at the same time." He told Erza and pointed to the second one that dealt with Rex.

"Right, so where do I fit in with all of this?" Greninja asked.

"You're going to help Locke in his fight against Bickslow. If you win then I get to roam free through Magnolia and kick Laxus' ass!" Rex said in a loud voice and he was glowing a gold colour from being pumped up at the thought of beating Laxus.

"... and that's how I am here right now." Greninja finished as Bickslow was taking a moment to recover from the shock of having one of his attacks intercepted.

"No way!" He shouted out loud. "You mean a crummy frog was responsible?!" Bickslow growled infuriated at the thought of something as weak as Greninja could be associated with Fairy Tail. His babies were just as surprised and were muttering to themselves.

Greninja turned to face Bickslow suddenly with a look of determination that could rival his Trainer's. "That's crossing the line. We gotta hit hard and fast." He said to Locke who nodded and they both dashed forwards. The dolls began firing individual green beams of energy and Greninja dodged them all thanks to his superior speed and also threw several Water Shurikens at their opponent who dodged them all with his acrobatic skills. _Talk about agile. _Greninja observed.

Locke was slower but trained his bow to aim for Bickslow only and fired several normal arrows at him, two in the chest and one nearly hit his helmet but it was shot down by the bunny doll which was then thrown to the ground by Greninja and he fired a Rocket Shot at his feet, making the ground beneath him explode and throw up concrete stones.

"**Line Formation!**" Bickslow cried out and four of the dolls stacked on top of each to fire another vertical wave of energy and was surprised to see said crummy frog standing his ground. Greninja smiled and then prepared a double Night Slash, attacking in a X formation to successfully block the Spell. "You gotta be kidding me!" Bickslow shouted in anger.

"Such shock. Such shock." The dolls chanted and awaited further instructions.

Locke continued firing arrows at Bickslow, who dodged and ran down an alleyway. Then he used both his feet to jump up and plant himself high above the ground. Both of them kept up but saw that Bickslow was grinning and all three heard a strange humming sound as one of Freed's Enchantments activated. "It says, _The Mages caught within this Enchantment cannot use Magic for 5 minutes._" Locke read out and realised he was in a rut.

"Since you activated the trap you get the honour of being without Magic for five minutes!" Bickslow grinned before laughing at them, and all five of his dolls followed suit. "**Blitz Formation!**" He cried out and they all began circling the pair of fighters from above.

"Five minutes then. No problem for me." Greninja grinned and Bickslow looked at him in curiosity which turned to shock upon discovering that a larger Water Shuriken was forming within his hands. "FYI, I don't use Magic." He informed in a cocky manner that was again much like the one that his Trainer would sometimes use. Then the dolls fired it and Greninja threw it above his head where most of the lightning hit.

Some of the still made contact with his body, but it was weaker and Greninja felt like he was being attacked with Thundershock. The lightning made it release the compressed water and most of it sprang upwards to drench Bickslow who fell down out of surprise. "Think you can still do physical attacks?" Greninja asked.

"Absolutely." Locke replied and they both ran forwards again with Greninja leading on a double Night Slash, aimed at the helmet covering the upper half of his face and created sparks that forced Bickslow to shut his eyes and his angry tiki dolls began firing at Greninja, which provided the distraction needed for Locke to get in close.

As a result of the Enchantment Locke couldn't separate his bow but he wasn't worried and struck one end of it at the helmet again before delivering a hook to his jaw and punching Bickslow straight in the stomach. It took the Seith user longer than expected to recover but managed to block a kick to the face and grinned at Locke in an unsettling manner. "Ignore the frog!" Bickslow commanded.

His dolls turned their target towards Locke and began firing at him, blasting him back out to the street and two Water Shurikens buried themselves in two dolls. The remaining three were swarming Greninja and pestering him, but didn't actually fire any Magic at him yet. "You can't hit me if you're divided!" Bickslow taunted and stuck his tongue out.

Greninja then caught one of the dolls and threw it expertly towards one of the other pair and they both hit the wall with a somewhat audible THUMP and fell down on the floor. Then the other two came followed by the roar of a Hydro Pump, soaking all five of them as they lay there on the floor and were struggling to get up due to the added weight of the water. "Your dolls may be possessed but they still carry their own weight, right?" He asked.

Bickslow was surprised at this assessment before getting even more riled up than had previously. "All these games are finished! Do you seriously think you had a chance against me? You put up a decent fight but that was all!" He ranted before grinning and speaking in a calmer more assured tone. "But I have an unbeatable combination." Bickslow stated and decided to take his helmet and all off to reveal his face.

Bickslow had blue eyes, which was the only normal part about them. There was the symbol of a person with just a head and straight lines for a body, arms and legs on in dark blue and his short hair was also blue, though not as dark at the mark on his face. Bickslow stood up and moved his head from side to side. "How do I look?" He smirked.

"Close your eyes and don't look directly into his face!" Locke ordered and Greninja obeyed, not liking where it was going. "If you do he'll steal your soul." They both did just as his eyes were glowing green.

Greninja gulped audibly. "I dread to think what my Trainer would say if that had happened to me." He admitted quietly and then felt something happen in the air and guessed that five more dolls had arrived to replace the wet ones.

What happened next was confirmation in its own right. "**Victory Formation!**" A triumphant Bickslow shouted and five lasers were fired at the pair of them.

"Incoming!" Greninja shouted and picked up Locke as he jumped up but they all hit his target and bothe of them rolled over with Locke's Darkness Bow clattering away from him. "Ugh… that hurt. If Gardevoir was here she'd tank it like a pro…" He grumbled and felt the ground begin to shake, indicating that another big Spell was going to hit them. _Damn, that last one really hurt… I can't tell where that guy is anyway. How are we supposed to beat him now? _Greninja thought and then remembered one of his most important lessons back in Kalos.

* * *

**Kalos Route 11**

_The route between Geosenge Town and the Reflection cave was quite a peaceful one. This was at a time before the first attempt by Team Flare to destroy the Pokemon World as we know it and Rex Vermend had just finished a Double Battle with both of his Kirlia coming out on top, and that was against two Nidorino of opposite genders. It was funny seeing a battle in which both sides had the advantage, and was surprisingly easy for him._

"_Ha ha ha! Now there is a battle to remember for sure!" A twelve year old Rex chortled and looked towards the incline that would lead him to Reflection Cave. He had heard stories of a few people going in but not coming out quite right. He brushed them off as a joke and decided to do some Training with Frogadier._

_Sending all of his Pokemon out to reveal the aforementioned Frogadier, a pair of Kirlia, an Electrike and a Kecleon. "(What is this time you runt?)" A disgruntled Electrike grumbled and growled at him._

"_(Oh will you stop that? Whatever this is is obviously important to him kid.)" The Kecleon retorted and it had a suspicious accent about it that didn't help when things went wrong. At least to the other Pokemon._

"_(And who's going to make me stop?)" Electrike challenged and began to flash in a show off display._

_Rex sighed. "Electrike can you please stop that?" He asked, whining a bit to make his point and the small green pokemon reluctantly obeyed, and sat down on top of a rock in a position that dared anyone to try and take from him. The other members knew it was more trouble than it was worth and played along with Electrike seemingly being the alpha Pokemon on the team._

"_Over here Frogadier, I need to train you in a certain way that may be useful later on." Rex said and the second form of the Froakie line followed with curiosity to several paces away from the area and not too far from a dead tree, where there was some ivy growing on it._

_The rest of the gang sat down by Electrike who initially glared at them in suspicion until his male Kirlia had had enough. "(For Arceus' sake Electrike we're not going to take over you cozy little rock even if we wanted to.)" He snapped, and Electrike was too satisfied to feel insulted by him._

"_(So… what is it that you wanted me to do then?)" A confused Frogadier asked and then saw Rex holding out a piece of black cloth in his hand._

"_Take it. One day you're going to have to learn how to fight without the use of your sight. I knew that was the reason you lost in your battle against Korrina." Rex said and wasn't smiling, alerting Frogadier that it was going to be something serious. Obliging, the Bubble Frog Pokemon tied it around his eyes and found that it was really hard to see and didn't move yet._

"_(The hell is that runt trying to pull on the stupid frog?)" Electrike sneered and Frogadier looked around sharply._

"_(Distract him once more why doncha?)" Kecleon sneered back at him and those two were almost set to get into a fight again but this time both of the Kirlia glared at them and they calmed down but still gave one another the occasional glare._

"_Like I said it all boils down to feeling the environment around you. You have to ignore what you see because your eyes will betray you. Feel the air around you, like a flying type." Rex continued on before picking up a foot long stick from the ground and hitting Frogadier quickly on the head, making the starter stumble and fall down on to the ground._

_Frogadier jumped up and took it off abruptly in rage and began shouting at Rex. "(HOW THE HELL WAS THAT FAIR? YOU DIDN'T WARN ME!)" The Pokemon accused and looked set to attack him were it not for the calm look that crossed his face._

"_Done yet?" Rex asked calmly and picked it up again. "That's the point. Try again." He said simply and held it back to him._

_Realising that he had no more arguments Frogadier sighed and tied it on again, making sure that he couldn't see it and waited patiently for it to come. The Pokemon sensed something and jumped only to get hit in the stomach by it. "Wrong direction." Rex pointed out and Frogadier cursed inwardly, realising he needed to differentiate between all the possible distraction. After taking a few deep breaths and trying to make sense of things and then swiftly put both his hands up and blocked a strike._

_Rex gave a smirk and grinned. "You're learning. But you're still not there yet, not until it becomes like an instinct." He pointed out and began attempting to hit Frogadier many more times and the other members looked on with intrigue as Frogadier was visibly improving to the point where he had not been hit for a full minute._

"_You can feel the dead tree can't you? I want you to hit it with Water Pulse." Rex instructed and Frogadier threw a Water Pulse, but it was several paces wide and the blue pokemon growled in annoyance. A second attempt (whilst moving) was nearly successful but it curled to one side and hit a healthy tree. The final attempt was successful and left a decent hole in the tree._

"_You're almost there, but now you have a new challenge. Everyone cooperate and defeat Frogadier!" He shouted to the group._

"_(Awesome!)" Electrike grinned and lit up then dashed towards the target and used Spark but missed the target and received a Water Pulse in the face. Undeterred he carried on with his assault and tried to use Quick Attack to match his speed but was met with a pound to the face. "(Get back here and face me!)" He roared._

_Frogadier stopped for a second to face Electrike. "(With your callous attitude I have no reason too.)" He pointed out and then retaliated with his own Quick Attack and they both used it to try and outspeed each other, and Frogadier faked a left to strike on the right and followed it up with Round, making Electrike's ears hurt._

"_(I hate that move.)" Electrike complained and was hit with even more pain as Frogadier used it again, and the ringing from his ears intensified. The last thing he saw was a Water Pulse heading his way and silently cursed himself for falling for the obvious trap._

_Kecleon stood up and sighed, shaking his head in a rather cocky manner. "(You'd think that fool would have learnt his lesson by now. My turn next!)" He grinned and then disappeared with Faint Attack, and Frogadier dodged it like he expected it too and jumped up, scoring a hit._

"_(Nice one, using a move that could not miss. But that gave away your position!)" Frogadier responded and used Hidden Power Fire, activating Colour Change after it had hit Kecleon and preparing a Water Pulse._

_Kecleon gave a knowing grin before turning invisible to the normal eye, only leaving his stripe which would normally be seen by the others. "(You think I wasn't aware of your attempts to exploit my Ability? That is just stupid.)" Kecleon retorted and jumped up in time, seeing a small wave of water swamp the place he used to be._

"_(You're right, but it also lets me do this!)" Frogadier retaliated and burst forwards and hit Kecleon with a point blank Water Pulse, dealing a lot of damage and then throwing the Kecleon onto the floor and using Round._

_Kecleon got up and the pair of Kirlia saw and felt his emotions at the same time. Kecleon was getting all revved up about the idea of losing just like Electrike had done. Then he created an Ancient Power and fired it at Frogadier who fired off a double Hidden Power and they were all temporarily stuck before exploding and revealing a fainted Kecleon._

"_(Let's go sis! We gotta go and beat him!)" The male Kirlia shouted, but his sister was hesitant. "(We have a better chance now that there are two of us right?)" He pointed out and then she perked up a bit, seeing the logic in that._

"_(Okay, but we have to be careful. Frogadier is quite strong.)" She added and they teleported next to him and then both of them used a point blank Magical Leaf that dealt a lot of damage and made Frogadier doubt himself for a moment because of the sudden attack. Then the female Kirlia used Lucky Chant and attacked with Disarming Voice._

"_(I didn't know this was a shouting contest. BAAAAAAAH!)" Frogadier yelled and used Round before hitting both of them with a combination of Pound and Bubble and the female Kirlia fell down and saw a Hidden Power Fire coming towards her. This made her freeze up from fear and was saved when her brother used Confusion to divert the Hidden Power away from her._

"_(No, please don't… do that again…)" Kirlia pleaded genuinely, still shaking from the idea of nearly being hit by it. That and it was a painful reminder of what happened a while back long before joining her Trainer._

_Frogadier felt guilty as he had used it out of instinct and didn't want to take advantage of her fear. "(Damn it Frogadier, what did I say about using your Hidden Power on her?!)" Kirlia demanded angrily and hit him with a Magical Leaf. The spiral of multicoloured leaves did look really pretty to him in all fairness but right now that wasn't his priority._

"_(Don't act like I did that on purpose!)" Frogadier shot back and used Water Pulse to knock out the male Kirlia and he tripped over himself as he went flying backwards on top of Kecleon with swirls for eyes that eventually stopped._

"_(I surrender. Please don't hurt me.)" Kirlia whimpered and Frogadier paused, waiting to see if it was a trap. She sensed the suspicion in his mind and teleported next to the others who were knocked out and Frogadier then relaxed, taking off his slightly damaged cloth and reveling in the victory._

_Rex smiled and was relieved for a moment. "Well done to everyone, including you two." He pointed out to the two conscious Pokemon and they all saw Electrike beginning to stir and he immediately started sulking at having lost. "Don't worry about that he'll get over it soon." He said and then Kecleon woke up not long afterwards, and was in a better mood than the small green Pokemon._

* * *

**Present Day**

_It's been ages since then. I never realised that I was still using it all this time. _Greninja thought and concentrated. He could sense the spell coming towards him and worked out that there wasn't enough time to get up and carry Locke and so improvised with his best move Hydro Pump. "Get on me now!" Greninja asked and Locke crawled towards him. As soon as their hand made contact Greninja fired a Hydro Pump at the ground to launch both of them into the air as what felt like a Hyper Beam pass him and create a long trench in the ground.

Bickslow who was looking at them, was getting even more annoyed at the prospect of losing. "No, I don't get it. How can you still be standing in spite of everything I've thrown at you?" He demanded.

Greninja landed on his feet without a word, and Locke made a nosier landing. "It's simple and it all comes down to having faith in one another. Your lack of it in the Guild is blinding you. It doesn't matter whether or not some members are stronger than others, because we fight with each other and not against each other!" He said loudly and prepared a group of Water Shuriken.

Gripping his Darkness Bow tightly Locke raised it and aimed at where he had heard Bickslow's voice and Greninja wasted no time in using all five of the projectiles to attack the dolls and dashed forwards quicker than Bickslow could register and hit him in several places with Acrobatics.

"**Rocket Shot!**" Locke chanted and fired three dark purple arrows that lit up on fire and they each successfully found their mark. They flashed and separated into two daggers and he jumped forward towards Bickslow with the intention of finishing this fight. "**Whirlwind Assault!**" he cried and then delivered a series of fluid precise strike at his body.

Bickslow's body at this point had given up from the combined assault of the pair and his eyes stopped glowing green too. Several dolls were flying towards him but since he wasn't commanding them at this point they all fell to ground, several metres away from the surprise member of the Thunder Legion, with his tongue sticking out in shock.

Laxus then looked in shock as the runes had rewritten the fight to show that Locke had triumphed against Bickslow and a few sparks flashed around his body. "Bickslow has failed me." He growled angrily and referred to the status update again. It showed that the official number of participants had gone up by one but went back to 8 following Bickslow's defeat and he knew that Erza had freed herself of Evergreen's Stone Eyes.

All of this was done with just over an hour to spare. "There is no need to worry yet Laxus. We still have the hostages in place, and Evergreen is not to be trifled with." Freed said calmly and stood opposite to him.

"Maybe but in case you've forgotten that new guy just beat Bickslow and he ain't even S-Class. Guess that means I gotta step up my bid to become the next Master of Fairy Tail." Laxus grinned and thought of activating that Spell, knowing it would anger Makarov. But now wasn't the time, not yet.

Back at the Guild Hall, Erza and the others were looking at the status symbols at the entrance and watched as they rearranged themselves. Then they let out a sigh of relief. "Bickslow versus Locke Johansson - Bickslow KO'ed. Rex Vermend can now move freely within Magnolia Town." Makarov read out with both joy and hope, as having two of Fairy Tail's strongest in their side could change the game.

"Excellent. Now we can both get out there and find the remaining members of the Thunder Legion." Rex stated to Erza and they nodded as each of them hurried out, leaving an agitated Natsu and Gajeel behind under the watch of Makarov and Happy.

"WHAT?! How can he get to go out there and fight before I do?!" Natsu whined.

"Well that makes two of us." Gajeel snorted, keeping his comically serious expression.

"If you think about it this way then they have a better chance winning because they'll be too tired to fight Laxus." Happy added to give some hope to Natsu.

"Yeah!"

"How dumb are you Salamander?" Gajeel scoffed with a sneer on his face. "Vermend packs a really bad punch, I would know. To make things worse for you he's also gotten stronger - do you think that a member of the Thunder Legion would really put a dent in him?" He pointed out grudgingly, now that Rex was going through the streets of Magnolia Town so he wouldn't hear.

Erza Scarlet was still in her Gothic Lolita outfit as she ran through Magnolia Town and was looking for any sign of Evergreen or of Freed Justine. She looked around her and saw that there were several daggers made of a golden light coming towards her and she jumped back just in time. It detonated in the space she had been in a second before and she quickly climbed onto the roof to see Evergreen looking at her, seemingly impressed.

"I was hoping to find the Queen of the Fairies here." Evergreen stated. "I'm surprised that you managed to make it out of there." She added and then began flying in the air and releasing golden dust around her. "**Fairy Bomb: Gremlin!**" Evergreen shouted and then a series of explosions detonated around Erza but she jumped up unharmed.

From her hands two red seals appeared and she equipped two swords and attacked Evergreen who jumped backwards and Erza ended up slicing the water tank into three pieces and it fell apart. But the two female Mages ignored it. "If I can beat you then that means the stone statues will be free." She deduced.

Evergreen returned a smug look and removed her glasses. "That is if you can beat my **Stone Eyes!**" She said and they flashed a neon rainbow colour.

But Erza closed her normal eye, allowing only her artificial eye to see her and blocking the spell as well. "That won't work on me!" She said, and Evergreen couldn't help expressing her surprise.

"I never realised that you had an artificial eye Erza. Well then, see if you can keep up with this!" Evergreen declared triumphantly and she began flying through the air again and then began firing multiple needles at or around Erza. "**Fairy Machine Gun: Leprechaun!**" She cried out.

Erza watched all of the projectiles carefully and began deflecting them with relative ease and continued her relentless pursuit of the one who had turned her stone and Evergreen decided to switch things up. "**Fairy Sword: Sprite!**" Evergreen chanted and created a golden glowing sword that sliced at the air in front of Erza.

Her response was to block it and the air where the three swords had met exploded and pushed her backwards by about a foot. "Don't tell me that's all you have Titania?" Evergreen taunted before flying up in the air and began to use Fairy Machine Gun: Leprechaun again. Erza began deflecting them at a faster rate and jumped up to attack Evergreen who flew away again.

"Too slow Erza!" Evergreen declared before laughing in an annoying way and Erza continued to pursue her. "You've certainly got some courage I'll give you that, but let's see what happens when I double the number of needles!" Evergreen stated and true to her words the Fairy Magic Spell increased in intensity and looking behind her she saw some of them grazing Erza and that she was slowing down to.

Evergreen began to laugh again. "If you can't keep up then the title of Titania belongs to me!" She declared boldly.

Erza growled and then jumped up towards her, requipping her shoes into two swords and began controlling them with her toes and was also deflecting twice as many needles as before and Evergreen began to panic from this. In seeing that hesitation Erza threw two of her sword and they pierced Evergreen's outfit and pinned her to a wall.

Landing on the floor again and having put on her shoes again Erza walked up calmly towards Evergreen. "Even though you turned me to stone and made Rex worry you're still a part of Fairy Tail. If you want to be called Titania then go ahead, that name was given to me. If you release the contestants trapped at the Miss Fairy Tail Contest then I won't have a reason to harm you." She requested in her normal demeanor.

Evergreen then began laughing and gave a smug look at Erza. "You're that naive Erza? You have forgotten another thing that my Stone Eyes lets me do. Remote control." She bluffed and Erza didn't shout, but watched her. "Take off all of your clothes or I will turn them to dust."

"Very well." Erza said a little too calmly for Evergreen's liking and then was shocked to see that she had not only requipped into her Heaven's Wheel Armour but also summoned a dozen swords in the air above. "If you truly value winning above the lives of others then your death would avenge those who have fallen." She declared.

Evergreen began to panic and started screaming but to her surprise Erza punched her in the face. "This is how you bluff." She stated before switching to her Heart Kreuz Armour and looking away from Evergreen. Feeling a new presence she smiled as _he _was here in the Battle of Fairy Tail

Back at the Guild Hall Happy was the first one to notice the battle had ended and read out the updated status. "Evergreen versus Erza Scarlet, Evergreen KO'ed and the winner is Erza!" He cried out and then Makarov, Natsu and Gajeel looked over at the stone statues.

"No way man! Erza too! I wanna have some fun when can I leave!" Natsu cried.

"Figured she win." Gajeel scoffed.

One by one each of the statues began flashing a golden light and the members of the Miss Fairy Tail Contest were all released from their prison. Cana and the others began looking around in confusion as they began to remember the last thing they saw before things suddenly changed without no reason. "I remember waiting for the contest to finish and then I think I saw Evergreen. After that it went blank." Cana remarked.

"What happened to my beloved Gray?" Juvia cried out.

"I think we should worry more about the fact the Guild Hall is practically empty." Lucy pointed out, sweatdropping slightly from her concern.

_Take that Laxus! You have no more hostages and now I can end this silly game! _Makarov thought with triumphant, wondering how Laxus was going to respond to this change and then began addressing the released girls about what Laxus was doing.

To say that Laxus had taken the news of Evergreen's defeat not so well would be an understatement. He was furious that two members of the Thunder Legion had been defeated and his Lightning Magic was beginning to flare up a lot again and a disturbed Freed entered the room and began addressing. "How weak did Evergreen become over the years?" He demanded to no one in particular. _And not to mention that guy is here too, this doesn't bode well at all._

"The game is now over Laxus, without hostages he will not admit defeat and…" Freed was cut off when a wave of lightning flew past him and Laxus gazed angrily.

"You're wrong about that Freed. The game will go on, but if you want to admit defeated to those weaklings then be my guest. Or you can follow me without questioning and make Fairy Tail stronger." Laxus replied and glared fiercely. "Even if that means taking their lives."

Freed struggled for a moment before relaxing his body and saying in a chill voice. "No, you're right. I'll go and partake in the Battle of Fairy Tail right now." He turned away to walk out.

"One more thing. A personal request from me in case you should ever face off against Rex Vermend." Laxus said and began to chuckle as he told Freed what to do. Freed didn't question why but understood what needed to be done and then dissolved in runes to outside.

Back at the Guild Hall the other female Mages in their had just finished listening to Makarov's story. "But there is nothing to be afraid about now. You're all free and that means Laxus has nothing to threaten me with." He finished with a smile on his face. "When this is over I will make sure he gets the worse punishment yet!" He shouted out loud with rage.

Natsu turned to face him. "You shouldn't be too hard on him gramps, he's still a part of the Guild." He said and Makarov thought about it, at least until Natsu began charging toward the girls. "But now it's time for the Battle of Fairy Tail Round 2! We can fight each other now Lucy!" He declared with a grin on his face.

A slightly distorted voice disagreed with him. "On the contrary old man the battle is still going on." The runes on the update board all began flashing red and what could be described a tidal wave of red runes entered the Hall and formed a skull and the voice of Laxus Dreyar. "To keep it going on I've decided to spice things up and activate the Thunder Palace. I'll detonate in an hour, unless you can beat me or you resign that is."

As soon as the board disappeared Makarov began shouting angrily again, harder and louder than before. "What is he doing thinking about activating the Thunder Palace and taking the whole town hostage?! THAT'S IT! I REFUSE TO RESIGN UNTIL I DIE THANKS TO HIM! I… I… erk!" Makarov suddenly began trembling as he clutched his heart and then fell to the floor.

"Master! Quick get him into the infirmary!" Cana said to Levy who nodded and with the help of Bisca moved Makarov upstairs in the Guild Hall and onto a bed.

Meanwhile Mirajane had gone outside to take a look at the Thunder Palace and had come backwards with a look of concern. "I just went outside and I think you should come and look at this." She said with a worry in her voice. They all went up to see that around the entire lined pale translucent orbs with a yellow lightning bolt in the middle and with a blue ring to secure it in place.

"With those things I'd say that Laxus had enough power to destroy the entire town." Cana said, not in the mood to drink anything. "Man, I can't believe he would use this."

Bisca equipped herself with a sniper rifle and aimed it at one of the Lacrima and focused on it. "**Guns Magic: Stinger Shot!**" She stated with confidence and fired a single bullet that made the Lacrima target explode. She grinned at least until the sparks flashed and she was shocked with electricity.

"What was that?" Gajeel asked in confusion as Bisca fell down on the floor.

"Laxus must have infused the Lacrima with Organic Link Magic so if we destroy those things then we'll get shocked by it." Levy guessed. "Some of us have got to find Laxus whilst I'll try and break the enchantment holding Natsu and Gajeel."

"I'll go, I've been with Laxus for a long time and I might be able to talk some sense into him or Freed." Cana volunteered.

"I'll go with you." Juvia added. Mirajane was also going too but her priority was finding Elfman.

The latter Dragon Slayer who was not listening until he heard Levy mentioning the fact that she could break the barrier and dropped his arms suddenly and turned to face Levy sharply. "Seriously you could do that?" He asked, surprised.

Levy nodded with a smile of confidence that made Gajeel wonder for a moment. "Freed's Enchantments are a form of rune like Magic, I can decipher it and find out how to nullify it, but it won't be easy." She pointed out and ran back inside as they all began going about to their jobs, with Gajeel following Levy and remained silent.

After going in Levy got a bunch of books and ordered them in a semicircle, putting on her Gale-Force Reading Glasses and began writing a series of complex codes and equation for working out how to undo the barrier that Freed has put in place that had also stopped the pair of Dragon Slayer for some bizarre reason. "L… o… s… e… and then reverse the syntax..." She muttered out loud.

Gajeel was watching her and was impressed with her concentration. "You're speaking but what you're saying is like a completely different language!" He stated out loud and began wondering more about the Guild, and although he wasn't aware of it began to also regret the decision to attack Levy on Jose's orders.

In the town itself Cana and Juvia were trying to find the remaining member of the Thunder Legion and were currently in a nicer looking area of Magnolia Town and Cana was looking visibly irritated by the actions that they had taken.

"Do you know where he could be?" Juvia inquired.

Cana looked down towards the floor. "I don't get why Freed would go through all of this trouble, especially with activating the Thunder Palace." She admitted and paused to think for a moment. "We'll try outside the Town next." She said to the Water Mage and they both carried on running ahead towards the more barren places of the city.

When the were at the outskirts of the city they also noticed that they were below the Thunder Palace and could see the threatening Lacrima above them. But they walked further and Cana stepped on a small stone and a humming noise could be heard a square drew right around them and runes shot up vertically before fading into thin air. "One of Freed's Enchantments, who knows what this is going to be." Cana noted and they both looked around.

"I think it's more amusing to see you fight each other." A male voice drawled. A mass of purple runes appeared on a rooftop and formed the body of Freed Justine who looked down calmly at the two of them.

"Where is Laxus Freed?" Cana demanded and took out a card.

"Saving up his Magic if you must know. But that is none of your concern right - that should be." Freed said and pointed to some runes that had appeared in front of them. "It reads, 'Leaving this enchantment is forbidden until one is unconscious.'"

This made Cana angrier and began to shout a Freed. "LET US OUT FREED SO THAT WE CAN BOTH FIGHT YOU! Or are you afraid to fight two girls?" She sneered at him.

Freed didn't look disturbed but replied to what Cana had just said. "I will fight the person who wins."

"Say that again." Cana dared him.

Juvia was quiet for the whole exchange as she had horrible sudden realisation. "This is why he put up those Enchantments. To see everyone fighting each other."

Freed then shot Juvia a look that she associated with those who didn't accept her because of the rain that followed her prior to meeting Gray. "I would prefer it if you won Cana, after all there is no telling when a child born to Phantom Lord would take this opportunity to strike Fairy Tail again." He said out loud and continued to ignore Cana.

As soon as Rex was allowed out after sharing a moment with Erza he immediately switched to the Sky Plate and began circling the city to try and find Locke and Greninja to see how they would be doing from their battle. _Come on, give me a sign somewhere. Or some indication at least. _He thought and then stopped in mid air as he felt an unknown yet familiar presence enter the town.

Flying to outside of the Town he found the S-Class Mage Mystogan walking silently into town and landed next to him. "So you're here, good. With Erza, you and me Laxus doesn't stand a chance." Rex grinned and Mystogan acknowledged his confidence with a nod.

"Don't get ahead of yourself though. We still need to defeat two members of the Thunder Legion before we can touch Laxus. Knowing him he probably has a few tricks up his sleeve. Who else is still in here aside from those people?" Mystogan asked.

"Well Natsu and Gajeel are both stuck at the Guild unfortunately along with the Master. Laxus had Freed create a barrier that stated no one over the age of 80 may not pass and for some reason both of them were unable to escape. I believe a new member by the name of Locke is still in though is recovering from his battle against Bickslow." Rex informed him and then used the Mind Plate to do a search for those two.

_Ah! There they are. Two blocks across the Toy Store, lying on the ground and facing upwards. _Rex found them to his delight and placed a hand on Mystogan's shoulder. "We're taking the shortcut so don't worry." He said to the apprehensive S-Class Mage and disappeared in flash of white light and reappeared next to them.

Locke looked on in surprise to see Rex along with someone else appearing out of thin air and turned his head to face them. "Who is that?" He asked, not looking too thrilled with the prospect of fighting someone so soon after Bickslow.

"It's okay, he's someone who'll fight against Laxus." Rex assured him and Locke calmed down again. "Can you get up?"

"Yeah, but now that we've stopped I can feel the pain from the fight." Greninja grunted and they both got up, supported by one of the two until they could walk without being assisted.

"Greninja you need to take a break for now and…" Rex stopped when he along with Locke and Mystogan felt a wave of Magic all around them and suddenly saw multiple yellow orbs all around the town. "What in the name of Arceus is that?"

Mystogan looked all around him and noted the way which they were arranged. "I think Laxus is holding the whole town hostage."

Rex turned to face him with shock on his face. "You're joking right?" He asked.

"If Laxus intends to take over from Makarov then he'd go to any lengths." Mystogan pointed out and Rex scowled. Then as Locke was about to attack one of the Lacrima with his Darkness Bow they all saw a flash near the Guild Hall at the same time, which was Bisca using her Spell and the accompanying yellow bolt of lightning. "Organic Link Magic. We destroy the Lacrima, we get shocked by that Lacrima."

Rex grinned as he pulled out his Ultra Ball. "Nothing to worry about then. Garchomp will make quick work of this stupid rule. The electricity from the Thunder Palace won't even make a scratch on him." He said with a cocky grin on his face, and Mystogan also saw the assurance that backed it up as well. The mysterious S-Class Mage was also curious about the one Rex referred to as Garchomp.

They both looked on in surprised as they saw the large form of the blue hammerhead dragon appear with a roar and looked at the group with an obvious look of anger on her face that made Locke take a few steps backwards in apprehension. "So what do you want me do? Because right now I wanna get back at Laxus!" She growled and showed her rows of teeth.

"Use Dragon Rush on one of those Lacrima of course." Rex said and pointed to nearest one too them. Garchomp nodded before taking off into the air and folding her fins to increase her speed and was lit up with a brilliant blue wave of energy, completely destroying the Lacrima and turned sharply backwards. Upon landing the Lacrima shocked her but she didn't feel a thing aside from a very slight tickle.

"So I should destroy all of these funny looking orbs?" She asked, looking at the ring of them, minus two.

"Not yet. Only when we find Laxus, I want to him to see you doing it but he'll be unable to do anything." Rex instructed with his normal grin. "I'll give the signal. You can only do 1 Dragon Dance when I give it understand." The grin promptly became a serious face upon mentioning Dragon Dance and Garchomp nodded.

"Done!" Levy cried out and startled Gajeel, making him jump backwards. Natsu came running towards the pair and she held her pen out like a weapon and began to rewrite the runes. The purple symbols that had appeared where she was writing that restriction out then dissipated and a circle appeared that dissolved throughout the whole barrier, freeing them.

"Alright, let's go now!" Natsu shouted.

"Hold on Natsu!" Levy cried out and Natsu stopped as quickly as he started. This meant that he fell face first and then got up with a miffed look on his face. "Freed's Enchantments are still active within the surrounding area. It's best if you two separate to avoid getting caught up in them." She advised.

Gajeel grinned. "Fine by me. I get to take a shot at Laxus without Salamander getting in my way." He said out loud deliberately.

This enraged Natsu like one would expect. "Oh yeah! Well I'm gonna get to him first."

"Just go you two!" Levy shouted out loud and pointed outside. It was barely a second later that both Natsu and Gajeel went their separate ways within Magnolia Town.

Juvia then turned her whole body to water and Freed looked on expectantly. "Promise me this. If one of us is incapacitated you will lift the barrier and fight the other person like a man?" She asked and steeled herself for what she was about to do next.

Freed faced her with obvious dislike but nodded. "I am a man of my word."

At this both looked on in surprise at Juvia who was smiling, though her Water Body was hiding the tears that she was also shedding. "Don't do this Juvia, it's exactly what he wants you to do!" Cana shouted in shock at her and then closed her eyes as Juvia launched forwards, though she bounced off the space above her and was gaining height.

"It doesn't matter how high you go, you won't be able to break through this Enchantment." Freed stated, wondering what the former Phantom girl was playing at.

As Juvia got higher and higher she declared in a bold tone. "If it necessary to hurt someone and that choice has to be between me and my friends… then I will happily lead that way!" Juvia cried out loud, and was also crying too as she headed straight towards the Lacrima. By the time both Cana and Freed had realised where she was headed for the Lacrima in the barrier it was too late and Juvia had destroyed it.

She began falling down by was suspended when she was then shocked and let out a scream of pain, doubly so because the Water Body conducted the electricity, making things even worse and she fell down to the floor on the brink of going unconscious. "You idiot!" An upset Cana shouted at Juvia in both anger and sorrow. "What did you do that for?!"

Cana saw that Juvia had cried now that her body wasn't looking like a puddle of water any longer. "It was because... I wanted to feel accepted… in Fairy Tail and that I love it there. That should take care of… it…" Juvia explained without a hint of regret in her tone before falling unconscious and the barrier promptly lifted.

_I don't believe it. I was convinced that she would fight Cana, not do this at all! Why did she choose her friend's survival over her own? _A shocked Freed thought, disturbed by what had just happened.

An enraged Cana stood up before promptly turning round angrily to face Freed who was still shocked at what Juvia had done. "You were accepted into the Guild Juvia. THERE WASN'T ANY DOUBT ABOUT THAT!" Cana then shouted towards the heavens and prepared several cards as tears began to stream down her cheeks. "FREED!"

From across the opposite side of the Town the flash of lightning in the air had illuminated the area where Freed, Juvia and Cana were and that the small group that Rex and Mystogan were jointly leading both turned towards it. "I'm willing to bet that's where the final member of the Thunder Legion is. I'll go and deal with it whilst you go and find Laxus." He informed the three of them and then sped off with Extreme Speed.

"...No offense to you Mystogan, as I haven't actually seen you fight, but I don't think we stand a chance against Laxus." Locke said nervously.

"...None taken." Mystogan replied absently and was thinking about what Rex had just done. _He's throwing himself into a fight selflessly like that. Rex is confident, though is it overconfidence. Still he did beat Erza… be thankful for having a person like him. _Mystogan thought and turned to face Locke. "I felt your battle with Bickslow. You're a skilled Mage, be proud of that."

Locke didn't respond but the look on his face and what he said next surprised Mystogan. "With what I've done I have no right to be proud of my skills." He said quietly, not wanting any sort of reassurance. This remark earned a questioning look from Mystogan.

When Mirajane had gone out, she kept searching through Magnolia Town to find Elfman who had been defeated. Erza defeating Evergreen had freed him from his stone prison and had reverted to his normal self, though he was feeling disappointed about being defeated though Mirajane thanked him for thinking about her.

They were walking and came across the same bridge that Cana and Freed were now fighting, and the latter was winning surprising easily. She threw a group of cards and in response Freed cut them without even looking. "You don't seem to understand the basics. If your attacks cannot hit me then they mean nothing." Freed advised.

Cana prepared three cards and stacked them on top of each. "Heaven, Reverse Death and Mountain - **Summoned Lightning!**" She cried out and sent half a dozen bolts at Freed.

"**Dark Ecriture - Reflect**." Freed responded calmly with a neutral look on his face and they bounced right back at Cana and the surrounding area around her. This made the bridge beneath her fall and she lay injured on top of the rubble.

Elfman and Mirajane were surprised to see Cana and Freed took several steps closer to her. "You're a veteran member of Fairy Tail, I would expect nothing less of you."

Cana got back up and angrily looked at Freed. "Take back what you said about Juvia always being with Phantom right now!" She demanded and quickly took out a few cards but Freed wrote something in runes on her forehead and Cana screamed in pain before falling down defeated.

Elfman was about to run towards Freed in an attempt to hit him but there was a rush of wind and Rex appeared in between them in a blur and then dashed forwards to help Cana up. "Don't worry about anything, I'm here now." He said in a comforting voice before setting her down gently on the ground and a few seconds later Rex returned, carrying Juvia.

"Take her, I'll make sure their efforts aren't wasted." Rex said and Mirajane nodded numbly, shocked at how Juvia was taken out. She had willingly given herself up for Cana and Rex also knew a bit more that really got on his nerves. Then he jumped up onto the bridge to face Freed with an unamused look on his face.

"You want to know what I heard Freed?" Rex asked rhetorically. "I heard Cana demanding you take back what you said about Juvia. Don't act like you know her. Ever." He stated angrily and then changed his ability to Adaptability and used Focus Energy to increase his critical hit ratio and then created wielded a pair of Psycho Cut. They formed their normal shaped and then reformed into something about 20% larger than normal.

At Kardia Cathedral, Laxus watched as the update status changed quickly and displayed an array of results. "Juvia Lockser forfeited. Cana Alberona versus Freed Justine - Cana KO'ed. Currently in progress, Rex Vermend versus Freed Justine." Laxus read out. "You'd better do _that _Freed and still win." He grinned and then looked to see that there was 45 minutes left until the Thunder Palace would detonate.

"You can try all you want, Rex Vermend but no one has matched me in the Battle of Fairy Tail yet." Freed stated calmly and with confidence. Rex's grin said everything and Freed was surprised to see, after switching to Mind Plate (with goggles on this time), his opponent's speed.

By that time Rex had dealt three blows, dealing massive damage thanks to being guaranteed a critical hit and the bonus of Adaptability and Freed used one hand to cover a tear in the left sleeve of his coat and then Teleported away with his Runes to avoid being hit a fourth time. "Come on Freed, don't tell me you don't have the stomach to fight!" Rex taunted and took a defensive stance.

Freed appeared silently behind him and took out his sword and charged forward. "**Dark Ecriture - Destruction.**" He said and delivered a powerful uppercut to Rex who had turned round to block it in time with both swords held in front of him but the force behind it was great enough to move his body.

"Damn, for a moment there you nearly had me." Rex admitted and they began trading sword blows at each other. Freed's precise and fluid strikes was met with Rex and his powerful and heavy blows, but his thin sword held up to the power of two critical Psycho Cuts. The force of the blows had also damage some of the surrounding environment and Freed decided to switch up some of his tactics.

Avoiding another strike from the Psycho Cut by teleporting with his runes to just behind the area where he had been and then struck Rex's body with runes. "**Dark Écriture - Pain!**" Freed chanted and inflicted a great deal of pain upon Rex and a lot of it was emotional. "It hurts doesn't it?" Freed asked Rex with a light smirk on his face. "**Dark Écriture - Pain!**" Another wave of pain washed over Rex again and he took a step backwards.

"**Dark Écriture - Fear!**" Freed chanted and swiped at Rex, inscribing runes on him that damaged his courage and made him look uncertain. Freed attempted to attack again but Rex swung one of his swords and blocked the incoming attack.

"Fear? Seriously? I thought that Pain spell was bad enough but this was ridiculous!" Rex remarked and Freed was surprised to see that the spells he cast didn't have that much effect on him and then received a Zen Headbutt to the face that made him flinch though unlike the two swords that his opponent wielded there was no critical hit.

Using runes to teleport Freed appeared suddenly behind Rex and unleashed his Dark Écriture - Destruction on him and it was blocked again but this time Freed directed all of the force from that Spell at Rex instead of the surrounding area and blasted him off his feet, both Psycho Cuts being dropped.

"**Dark Écriture - Pain!**" He cried and inscribed some runes on his shoulder and Rex's arms felt slightly numbed.

"**Dark Écriture - Suffering!**" Freed chanted and inscribed something on Rex's body that made it light up a pinkish colour and hurt more than the other Spells did. Rex cried out in pain and got up with a look of surprise on his face and Freed used it again and got a second cry from the white haired Guardian. "That spell inflicts severe pain from the worst of times." Freed calmly stated.

"From the worst…" Rex began and then paused in shock at what this meant. _Not from them. Anything but them. _He thought in shock and went on the offensive this time and substituted his Psycho Cut for Slash, generating a pair of claws on each hand and began attacking with a snarl.

"**Dark Écriture - Barrier!**" Freed chanted and runes that spelled out 'Protect' appeared in the air and they successfully blocked all of his strikes that Rex dealt, all of them critical hits, and it held up impressively.

"**Metronome!**" Rex cast and wagged a finger in the air and ended up getting Rock Blast, pounding the barrier even more as five vertical blasts of white energy. They also did nothing and Rex was infuriated by the smirk on his face. Then he dashed forwards and broke the barrier by using Feint and then followed this up by attacking Freed in the stomach with Mega Kick and he fell to the floor winded.

After taking a few moments to regain his lost breath Freed looked up to see that Rex Vermend was standing above him but wasn't making the finishing move. "What are you waiting for? End this right now!" Freed demanded.

What he got in reply was a shake of the head. "No, I'm not going to do that because that is what you want. All that time I used the Mind Plate was also spent analysing your emotions and I can tell your reluctance to do this." Rex stated and the green haired Mage was awestruck into silence by how he was able to tell that. "I'm offering you the chance to give up Freed and join us in opposing Laxus."

"No, that is not true. I don't care about this Guild the way it is now. I will follow Laxus down whatever path that takes, even if it means going through Hell!" Freed shouted back in denial and quickly slashed his rapier upwards to cast Dark Écriture - Destruction at a close range. Rex was holding his Psycho Cut in a relaxed fashion and upon being attacked by it cracked down the spine and broke into two when he hit the floor.

_Aaah… this means round two. That last one is beginning to hurt now thanks to the change in the aim of it. But I don't like the other one at all, and switching to something that resists his Dark Écriture. _Rex thought as he got up and then switched to the Fist Plate, ready to strike out physically and took a stance as Freed readied his rapier.

They both got back into the battle with Rex determined to make Freed realise he was in the wrong though right now he wasn't sure how to do that. Creating one Sacred Sword, Rex ran forwards and began to fight using their swords again with both of them being more committed this time.

Freed struck out and aimed for the shoulders but Rex parried the blows by expertly switching between forehand and backhand before retaliating with several high attacks that were blocked as well but this time enhanced by Magic. Freed assumed that this was going to give him an advantage but instead the reality was they were evenly matched due to the fact that Sacred Sword ignored Defense and Special Defense modifications. _I have to carry out Laxus' request, but I have to distract him._

"This seems to be getting us nowhere, don't you agree?" Freed assessed and got ready to cast another Spell with his rapier.

Rex grinned and then switched to the Flame Plate and drew in his breath and prepared for a stronger attack. "**Eruption!**" He roared and unleashed a powerful crimson spiral with yellow trails at the side.

"**Dark Écriture - Reflect!**" Freed chanted and slashed his sword at the air, creating a shield that split the Eruption up into six smaller columns of fire that headed just as quickly back towards Rex. Upon seeing him jumping backwards and deflecting them by quickly putting up a Light Screen and letting them hit Freed wrote runes on his body.

"**Dark Écriture - Hasten!**" The runes glowed brightly before they sunk into his body which then began to glow with a purple outline. Freed then dashed forwards and branded Rex with three sets of runes all next to each other. "Experience the three levels of torment. **Dark Écritures - Suffering, Fear and Destruction!**" Casting all three of these Spells at once created a massive purple explosion, stronger than the last time and Rex was on one knee, looking far less sure of himself.

Freed smirked as he dashed forwards and attacked Rex with his sword, faster than last time and had only just got to his feet to see a green and red blur attack him and both of his shoulders found themselves with a tear in them and Freed appeared in front of him then attacked again. This time Freed lashed out with several jabs and the sword managed to pierce his skin in several places and small red wounds began to appear in his shoulder and abdomen where the blood was being drawn. Not wasting any time he carried out Laxus' orders and wrote some runes on Rex before he took several steps backwards.

"Your combat skills are something to be admired. I can see how you were able to defeat Erza, but I am stronger and faster than you now. Try getting your hits in." Freed stated and returned to his normal calm demeanour once Rex decided to ditch his white jacket, but his green shirt was still stained by the blood that was coming out.

A small gentle pink glow enveloped Rex's right hand and then placed it over his wounds, one by one to stop to flow of blood using Heal Pulse and then turned to face Freed before using Psych Up. For a single moment Freed saw an image of himself overlay Rex who copied the changes made by Dark Écriture - Hasten and gained two stages in both Attack and Speed. _Heh, it's like I used Dragon Dance twice. _Rex thought with a grin and then looked at Freed.

"So then, how about we shake things up Freed?" Rex grinned and then switched to the Sky Plate before dashing forwards with Aerial Ace and striking Freed hard and fast and then he wheeled around and followed this up with a pair of Air Slash and they were much faster than normal.

"**Dark Écriture - Reflect!**" Freed shouted and quickly cast his runes and created the shield, sending both of them bouncing back at Rex who barrel rolled and gained height before unleashing a Hurricane directly above Freed and a large sky blue tornado tore up the ground around him and lifted him right into the air. _What is this incredible power? _Came his marvelled thoughts, barely able to hear them over the powerful gale and was then thrown into one of the walls, making a crater.

"I can also fly. **Dark Écriture - Wings!**" Freed declared and wrote some runes on himself and created a pair of wings made up of runes and there were four pairs of them and he took off in the air in pursuit of Rex, rapier poised and ready to strike him.

"**Metronome!**" Rex cried and wagged a finger, then groaned as a purple orb engulfed his left hand. "Seriously? Poison Sting again? What the hell is this, troll the Guardian?" He complained as a barrage of small poison barbs began flying directly towards Freed who dived down then looped around when Rex tried to follow his patterns.

"**Dark Écriture - Explosion!**" This time a jumble of runes were written in the air and they shot at Rex, all of which exploding upon contact but they revealed a green semi spherical sphere protecting him from all of the damage and Freed looked on in surprise.

"I didn't want this to go on Freed, because then you'd have to force my hand. And I hate it when it's forced, but it looks like I have no choice." Rex admitted truthfully and clasped both of his hands together and a bright silver blue light shone from within them, and Freed could feel great power being drawn towards it. Moving his hands apart he revealed an orb in between them. "**May father's divine Judgement have mercy on you!**"

The sky blue orb shot high up into the air in the direction of Freed and divided into eight smaller lights that arced towards Freed and there was a massive explosion in the air that made Freed fall and the damage done by Judgement showed itself. His green hair was ruffled badly and his red jacket had the lower half of the arms completely destroyed to reveal the torn white shirt underneath. There were other cuts in his jacket too and he had also sustained several burns.

There was also a visible look of shock on Freed's face and he discarded all of his current feelings, realising now why Laxus wanted him out of the game. "I understand why Laxus considers you a threat. I must remove that threat." Freed stated with displeasure and reveal his other eye which had become fully purple and the pupil had become a shining pink orb.

"My apologies Laxus for using a forbidden Spell, but I must. **Dark Écriture - Darkness!**" Freed said as he wrote several runes on his chest that transformed into a dark purple colour and spread all along Freed's body including his rapier, also releasing a dark red wave of Magic in the vicinity. As the body transformed his wings curved.

When it finished, Freed now resembled a one eyed demon with a dark grey body and dark blue fur covering the sides of his body and his upper arm. On his chest were lighter markings that were shaped like his wings with the top curving inwards. His right eye was now a pure dark blue colour that match his face and it was surrounded by light blue scales and it replaced the top half of his jacket. The bottom half was still there mostly apart from the dark grey feet, and turning himself into a demon like creature which also increased his mass.

"**Dual Plate Mode - Flying/Fighting.**" Rex stated and combined the Fist and Sky plate together. The wings looked more like that of Braviary, large and strong, but the underside of the wings were a beige colour. His blue hair that usually came with the Sky Plate became a burgundy colour and his flying gear also matched the changes as well.

Seeing as how words would no longer have any effect they decided to talk with their fists and both of them charged at each other and no less than a second later a violent shockwave erupted in mid air from the impact of the two forces. Freed lets two dark orbs with a red aura engulf his hands as he began delivering a multitude of blows and Rex met them all by using Close Combat.

Each time the fists clashed they unleashed a shockwave comparable to that of an unboosted Magnitude 10 and the speed of the blows being traded certainly didn't help either, destroying the homes that were unfortunate to be close enough to the battle. Mirajane and Elfman had kept their distance from the fight but could still feel the effects of the blow and the river was crashing at the sides, ignoring the fact that it was supposed to flow one way.

Taking a note of the destruction caused by the two of them Rex twirled to the side and threw Freed out of the town using a horizontal Seismic Toss and charged forwards to meet him with Extremespeed. Freed had been flung hard into several tall desert rock formations and left a gaping hole in them and threw a fist at Rex. The resulting explosion destroyed the rock they were fighting in and they stood there at many smaller pieces fell around them.

Freed then charged forwards and delivered a powerful punch at Rex's cheek that made him crash down into a cavern and he quickly flew up as Freed nearly attacked him again but this time began inhaling. "**Darkness Breath!**" Came Freed's deeper and more savage cry the floor around him erupted into a black energy and he fired it in the shape of a tornado that carried Rex high upwards.

_Hnnnngh. _Rex thought with a growl on his face and felt more cuts on his body thanks to what Freed had just done. _I have to use force, but enough to make him understand that this is not the right thing to do! _Then a large silver orb shot at Freed and the damage taken from the attack was multiplied by 1.5, creating a bright explosion. After about a minute a heavily injured Freed jumped back right up at him and nailed him several times with his fists until Rex teleported and delivered a Flying Press attack from above.

"Don't you see that this has little meaning Freed?" Rex shouted out loud and dodged a hit, and looked at Freed's face. It was one of fear, both about him and about what Laxus might to do to him if he lost. _But don't worry about that Freed, because I won't lose to you or to Laxus! I gotta decrease his attack and speed somehow... _He thought and an idea came to his head.

Freed flew in fast above him and gathered a great amount of Darkness Magic above him in a small ball and fired his Darkness Flare Bomb, and it was fired right into Rex's stomach. When made contact with the river below him it exploded and a pillar of water erupted into the air and Freed hovered above it, waiting for a sign that his adversary was down.

There was a flash of light from below and the water around Rex appeared with the Splash Plate on this time and was controlling the water around him as he looked upwards at Freed with a look of determination on his face and a smile. _What is he planning? How can he smile when he's sustained this much damage? _A confused Freed thought.

"**Topsy-Turvy!**" Rex stated and his hand was pointed towards Freed. A ten by ten red grid appeared above freed and a blue ten by ten grid appeared beneath him then they both switched colours, or more accurately switched positions and inverted the increase in attack and speed that he had gained and was both slower and weaker.

_How did he get even faster than before? _A surprise Freed thought and gasped out loud as he had switched back to the Flying/Fighting combination and charged forwards with Aerial Ace and seemed to hit Freed almost instantaneously. Rex then grabbed the demonic Freed and pulled him through the air, ignoring the blows coming from him.

"It's time for me to end this foolishness Freed. Ability Change: Aerilate." Rex stated and they had arrived not too far from where they started and he used Focus Energy again to restore his critical hit rate like it had been at the start of the fight and his hand became like a claw. Within the space of several seconds Freed had been attacked multiple times and Rex showed no immediate signs of stopping.

_I can't win, it's impossible for me to do such a thing. _Freed realised with horror as the strength drained away from him at a rapid rate. Then as fast as Rex had begun, he stopped and carried Freed down to the ground with his body rapidly returning to his normal state though it was far from the normal neat look that he had.

"Why didn't you finish it?" Freed asked and stared up into the sky, though he had been thoroughly shaken. "After all, I've lost to you and proved how weak I am in this Guild. Furthermore I can't face the Guild after my actions."

Rex looked at him with his calm red eyes and replied to his answer. "It's not that hard to answer Freed. Your emotions showed that you were in conflict with the orders that Laxus had given you. I'm not going to pry into that." He looked back at Mira and Elfman. The former was supporting Cana whilst the latter held an unconscious Juvia in his arms.

Freed remained silent and asked Rex another question. "But I've lost, and I have no right to live after this. It's best just to finish me n-" He got a look of shock as Rex slapped him across the face.

"Don't say that. _Never _say that, because that tells others the wrong thing. Another reason you shouldn't say that is because you have the Guild. A place where everyone can laugh and cry and get into pointless fights for whatever reason, what could be better than that?" Rex asked with a smile on his face.

Freed sharply turned to face Rex and shook his head. "You're wrong! My only ally is Laxus!" He insisted.

Sighing, Rex shook his head gently. "Do you really believe that Freed?" He asked rhetorically as Mirajane, Cana and Elfman stood right beside him. "There's nothing wrong with doing things on your own, but consider this. We will always be here for you and ready to support you if you need it. Even the strongest fighters need some help from time to time."

When Freed saw that smile, he saw it as if their battle had never happened and began shedding tears. There wasn't a verbal admission to that but Rex knew what he had seen was enough and he stood to his full before turning back to face Magnolia. Taking off his jacket he stated to Mirajane, "He'll be okay. Even though that was quite a fight I still have plenty in me against Laxus. I'll also be fighting with others as well so don't worry."

Freed watched him with a look of awe as he used Recover for half a minute before taking off to the streets to Magnolia to search for Laxus. _I never got to told him about what I done. Please don't be mad at me for that Rex Vermend. _He thought bitterly as Juvia regained her consciousness slowly.

* * *

**Elsewhere, with Gajeel**

After running from the Guild Hall and away from Salamander Gajeel began searching through the town for several minutes and when he couldn't find Laxus, ended up perching on a thick branch that overlooked the majority of the Town and watched patiently. When Rex's fight with Freed began to get really crazy he turned his head to see the clashes and could feel the force of it tremble his body.

"We gotta be on the other side of town and I can still feel the power coming from that Guardian Fairy's battle with the final member of the Thunder Legion. But you got a plan to deal with him don't ya, Master Ivan?" Gajeel grinned as he talked to a floating paper doll with blue marks on it and a red dot on it's head.

From the shikigami a tinny voice spoke but it was deep, just like Makarov and Laxus. "_Excellent work Gajeel. We have a plan for him all right, though his power does provide a problem it will only be a small one. I was initially concerned about having you act as a spy due to the other fairy fools being distrustful of you. But the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like the most logical option._" Ivan replied with a grin on his face from the Guild Hall of Raven Tail.

"And when that happens I'll finally stop playing second fiddle to Salamander!" Gajeel grinned.

* * *

**Fairy Tail Guild Hall**

Even though she could fight in the Battle of Fairy Tail, Levy wisely chose to stay at the Guild Hall to look after Makarov and went down to the main hall after checking up on him. Makarov didn't seem to be getting any better and that was worrying her greatly. _Only 15 minutes left until the Thunder Palace will activate. This means it'll be bad news for all of us unless it gets taken down or Laxus is defeated. _Levy thought and began silently praying for the Master.

The doors opened and Levy gasped as the person she least expected to see appeared and had a grim look on her face. "Is the old fool here?" Porlyusica asked.

"We moved him up to the infirmary but he's in no great shape." Levy pointed up.

"I know that, which is why I am here." Porlyusica replied as she was lead up to the bedridden Makarov and she gently placed a hand on his forehead. "Laxus should come here and see Makarov, he's seriously ill." She assessed with a grim look on her face.

"What do you mean by seriously ill?" Levy asked and brace for the worst.

Porlyusica turned to face her with a sombre look on her face. "He's on his deathbed." She replied, much to Levy's shock.

* * *

**Oh my goodness I never thought I would have finished this chapter! I should have done two days ago mainly because Chrome was making an ass out of itself so I decided screw it and not do anything. And partly because I feel like shit again and a lot of it is mainly due to stuff outside FF. I'm afraid to admit that I have had some serious thoughts about giving up on this despite how much I like writing it and you enjoy it.**

**Next Time on Guardian Fairy - Battle! VS Laxus**

**With all members of the Thunder Legion defeated and the Thunder Palace about to be annihilated, Laxus is left alone as he prepares to face off against the remaining contestants in the Battle of Fairy Tail - starting with Mystogan and Locke! But with the surprises he has in store can our heroes defeat him and save Magnolia?**


	24. Battle! VS Laxus

**I just want to say thanks for showing your supporting me during probably one of the worst times in my life currently. It really means much to me. In October (or last month depending on when you read this chapter) this FF received over 3k views, amazing! I guess uploading 3 chapters in one month helped a bit and breaking 100 favourites :) and 16k words this time.**

**Previously on Guardian Fairy -**

**Rex: **Well that was intense! In the space of probably an hour or two all of the members of the Thunder Legion were defeated! The first to go down was Bickslow courtesy of Locke who had trouble at first but during the fight Erza broke free of Evergreen's Stone Eyes and I sent Greninja to help Locke. The two of them beat Bickslow and not long after we both went out through Magnolia Town, Erza defeated Evergreen. Shocked by having two members of the Thunder Legion defeated, Laxus decided to activate the Thunder Palace and told Freed to participate, which made things even worse for Makarov who suddenly had a heart attack. Mystogan arrived to take part and I fought Freed. I won of course and Freed realised the error of his ways. During the battle Levy managed to free both Natsu and Gajeel.

* * *

**Chapter 24 - Battle! VS Laxus**

Whilst the battle between Rex and Freed was taking place, Laxus sat down in Kardia Cathedral and began thinking about the time he changed his ways and how Makarov was the cause of all of that. He looked at the timer which stated there were under 10 minutes left until the Thunder Palace would detonate.

"_Laxus, are you going to take part in the Fantasia Parade this year?" Makarov asked. He was wearing what looked like a blue and orange dressing gown and seemed to be busy in his small office with some papers on the desk._

"_Old man… don't you know what it's like for me? I don't get any recognition, or rather I haven't since our guest left!" A teenaged Laxus spat, causing Makarov to look up with a frown on his face. During his teenage years, Laxus wore a black long sleeved shirt under an olive t-shirt and still had his Magical Headphones._

_Makarov didn't say anything as he got down from his chair and walked over and gave him his full attention. "It doesn't matter what I do, people say that it's naturally because I'm the Master's Grandson - not because I'm Laxus! I just want to be recognized as me, not as someone special!"_

_Makarov fiddled a bit with one end of his moustache. "Don't worry about them Laxus, getting the proper credit for incredible things is no easy feat." He said._

_Laxus was in no mood for this talk though. "If what you did wasn't bad enough you also brought shame upon me as well when you expelled Dad. Don't you have any feelings at all for what you did?" He demanded with an angry look on his face. Makarov kept a calm posture and sighed regretfully. "Dad is part of our family!"_

_Once Laxus had settled Makarov opened his eyes and looked calmly into his grandson's. "Because he was a danger to our Guild Laxus." He replied straightforwardly._

_Laxus didn't seem to matter or care. "Okay, so what if he's done some stupid things. He's still your son dammit!" He shot back._

_Makarov shook his head gently and looked back calmly at him. "Family or not, I cannot allow a man who would knowingly and willingly endanger the lives be apart of this Guild. That is how Fairy Tail is protected and how it will be by the next Master of the Guild." He informed him._

_Laxus sneered and lowered his voice. "Then what? You're going to get rid of me too? How would you like it if I went and joined his Guild?!" He asked and the revelation pierced Makarov like a blow to the head._

"_What, he founded his own Guild?" A shocked Makarov asked. "Where is it Laxus? Does that mean you know where he is right now?" He pleaded._

_Laxus turned away with a sneer on his face and began walking away. "Hah, go ahead and put on that crap like you care old man." He said and completely ignored what Makarov was saying._

"_YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WHAT IVAN HAS DONE! THE INFORMATION IS VERY SENSITIVE AND COULD JEOPARDIZE THE SAFETY OF THE GUILD!" Makarov shouted with both hands out in the air to further hammer in the point._

Laxus took several deep breaths to calm his anger and when he heard the sound of runes appearing in the air he looked up and read out the result of the battle which did not please him at all. "Rex Vermend versus Freed Justine - Freed Justine forfeits. Naturally, because he questioned my orders it led to his defeat." Laxus growled and hoped that the special orders given to Freed were carried out, and stood to his feet, turning around to face away from the entrance.

A stoic male voice called out to Laxus and he turned around to face Mystogan and Locke, the latter of whom was looking slightly nervous. "It's over now Laxus, the Thunder Legion is defeated and now only you're left." Mystogan stated, with a composed look on his face and a bundle of staffs on his back.

Laxus began to chuckle and raised an eyebrow as if he were amused by that statement. "I never expected you to get here Mystogan, though I can't say I'm shaking in my boots. In fact I'm glad to see that you're here." He replied with a cocky grin on his face.

The look made Locke want to defeat Laxus more than ever now and gripped his Silver Bow tightly, waiting for the inevitable fight to start so he could get his nerves to calm down. "Why would that be Laxus? Are you happy he's going to kick your ass?" Locke shouted, then felt his insides cringe as he realised what he had just done. And that it was probably going to kill him in the end too. _As long as don't have to Requip into that… _

Laxus turned to face the newest member of the Guild and then began to laugh. "Those are such bold words coming from the new kid. I'll admit that you beating a member of the Thunder Legion was a surprise but it did give me a great idea. Since you disposed of a weak member why don't you help me?" He offered with a smug look on his face.

Locke then stopped shuddering and almost made a move to attack Laxus from anger. "Like hell I'd ever do that!" He shouted.

"Figure you wouldn't. After all you all fall in line for the old man." Laxus snorted, not really bothered. His nonchalant act kept Locke from attacking him out right and the Requip user knew there was something that Laxus was hiding from everyone in the Guild. "And the both of you think that this is all over? There is 10 minutes until the Thunder Palace detonates. You really think you can take both of me on?"

Mystogan nodded. "I'm certain that we can. We have two Dragon Slayers, Erza, Locke and Rex whereas you are on your own. How can you possibly win?" He questioned.

Laxus gave a reply and continued his relaxed act, seeing as he had the advantage here. "I'm sure you've heard about the rumors flying left right and center about who is the strongest in Fairy Tail, and those rumors have gotten even more intense with the arrival of Rex Vermend on the scene."

"I have little interest in finding out who is the strongest. If I were to guess I would say Gildarts." Mystogan proposed.

Laxus snorted. "Eh, we'll never find out since he ain't here. I was referring to the ones taking part in the Battle of Fairy Tail. Erza shows some promise but she's still too weak, Rex was barely able to beat her in a fight and the new kid over there is shaking in his boots. Which just leaves you and me." He explained with a taunting grin.

Mystogan turned his head slightly to take a look at the fellow member and could see that he was trembling slightly. Whether it was from fear, anticipation or even both was impossible to tell. "If it's shaking out of fear there is nothing wrong with being scared Laxus. If you think that Erza and Rex are both weak you're as good as blind." He countered and Locke tried to control his trembling better.

"Come on Mystogan, I'm giving you a compliment! Rex won't be a problem anyway, not after what Freed did to him. Why don't you make it just the two of us for the title of the strongest Mystogan? Or should I say another-" Laxus began but was attacked.

As soon as Mystogan hear him say another he lost his composure for the first time since appearing in the story and whisked out one of his Staves and fired a blast of purple Magic at Laxus but the blonde haired Mage jumped to the the side with an amused look on his face. "Well would you look at that. We've seen a rare event, it's not like you to get hot under the collar Mystogan."

Mystogan turned his head quickly to face Laxus. "How do you know about that?" He demanded angrily.

Laxus dropped his smile for a moment but it returned. "Perhaps if you can beat me then you'll find out!" He proposed.

"...Very well then." Mystogan responded to his challenge and held out one of his Magic Staves which were pointed towards towards Laxus. "But be prepared to witness Magic the likes of which you have never seen before." He declared and within a moments notice had put down five Magic Staves around Laxus.

"Huh, what the hell?" Laxus questioned as he felt a rumble and could see him getting higher and higher above not only the cathedral but also himself floating miles high above Magnolia Town and was surrounded by the darkness of space. Above him formed a slit which quickly widened to reveal a single glowing eye and a pair of claws began to tear it open, heading straight for Laxus. The monster was large and scaly with the middle eye glowing and the other two eyes being pure red. Before Laxus could try and get away from he found himself being wrapped in tendrils…

...and then he unleashed a burst of lightning that tore the illusion apart. "Cute trick." Laxus growled, but was satisfied to see that Mystogan was actually fighting him. "Shame it didn't work on me! You're gonna have to do a lot better than that!"

Mystogan stood unabashed. "I'm surprised you broke my illusion, but you're too late. **Five Layered Magic Circle: Sacred Song!**" He chanted and a shining light appeared above Laxus and five Magical Seals appeared in place as well, the largest of which were at the bottom.

Laxus let out a chuckle. "Which one of us didn't notice it again?" He asked tauntingly and a yellow Seal appeared beneath both Locke and Mystogan. Then the two Spells detonated at the same time, a pillar of golden light crashing down on Laxus who shocked Mystogan with a bolt of lightning.

Sensing the electricity about to strike him, Locke dodged to the right and aimed his bow at Laxus. "**Rocket Shot!**" He fired a silver arrow that ignited in flames at Laxus and he scored a direct hit. Then he followed this up with several more arrows and aimed directly at the legs.

"You're gonna have to do a lot better than that!" Laxus roared as he fired several bolts of electricity at the two of them and Mystogan disappeared using his Mist Body and then attacked Laxus from behind with a purple blast of Magic and Locke ran behind the row of pillars and aimed at his back. The Archer user fired another Rocket Shot but it went through Laxus as he used his Lightning Body technique to dodge it appear where Mystogan had been standing.

Whilst Laxus was arcing through the air Locke followed him and as soon as he reappeared again ran forwards to attack. "**Sonic Shot!**" He chanted and fired and an arrow buried itself in between Laxus' legs and let out a powerful screech that made the blonde haired Mage flinch from surprise. "**Cross Slash!**" This was followed up by a separation of the bow and Laxus felt how fast the daggers were.

_I ain't gonna lose to a weakling like him. No way! _Laxus growled and then punched Locke in the side, increasing his momentum by quite a bit and tripping him up as well. Locke sucked in his breath suddenly as the world began spinning a few times and rebalanced his body with the use of the left hand.

Mystogan set up two Staves side by side and a crystal blue and fiery red Seal appeared in front of them. "**Two Layered Circle Magic: Ice Fire Cannon Wave!**" He called out and a two powerful waves of Fire and Ice Magic shot out towards Laxus concentrated together in a spiralling beam towards Laxus. It impacted with a powerful boom that could easily be heard throughout Magnolia Town.

Rex who was currently circling it in the skies stopped in mid air and turned towards Kardia Cathedral. "Over there!" He cried out and also voiced it telepathically towards Erza and Garchomp. _Now Garchomp, while Laxus is occupied! Use Dragon Dance and destroy the Thunder Palace!_

"It came from Kardia Cathedral!" Natsu noted and turned in that direction.

"Finally some action." Gajeel smirked and leaped down from the tree, shikigami hiding away from anyone else.

The blonde haired Mage now had an irritated look on his face as flames and small ice crystals swirled around him. "That one tickled a lot, but you can't do about that!" He called out to the pair of them and a large yellow Seal appeared in the space in front him. "Not bad, but see if you can dodge this!" He cried out and fired a barrage of yellow orbs the size of a hand towards both of them.

Keeping his bow together Locke twisted one end of it 180 degrees and then began spinning it in front of him. "**Angelic Halo!**" He cried and it began shining a golden colour, creating a shield that expanded so it blocked the space in front him, and the shield itself had a thick golden edge and several of them hit against the shield but it held.

Like before, Mystogan simply used his Mist Body Spell to avoid the attack and this time made several gestures with his hands "**Ground Shattering Wave!**" He called out and unleashed a number of purple shaped waves that travelled through the ground towards Laxus in a circle and missed because he used his Lightning Body to arc through the air.

Taking aim from between two large pillars in the cathedral Locke fired a Rocket Shot and the blazing arrow narrowly missed Laxus who then changed his trajectory and was heading straight towards him. Locke then began running and jumped to the side, missing a bolt of lightning that was shot from it and then he did a sudden flip backwards and fired an arrow from directly above him.

"What?" Locke gasped in surprise as it passed through Laxus and the moment of hesitance was going to cost him a lot right now as Laxus then smashed into him and reformed to deliver several fast and powerful punches before sending him launching into the air with a bolt of lightning. Locke was smoking from in the air and fell the floor in an awkward angle and was twitching from the attacks.

Laxus turned away before facing Mystogan with a dark grin and he began to chuckle and it eventually became a laugh. "You see what I mean about the new kid? He can't hold his own in a fight against me. So what chance do you have?" He pointed out and continued to laugh it off.

Mystogan looked at Locke and saw that he was still capable of fighting. "Like I said earlier Laxus, we have two Dragon Slayers, Erza and Rex, and it's you by yourself. What makes you think that you could win with the odds stacked up against you?" He questioned and didn't lower his guard from a possible attack.

Laxus gave a wordless smirk in return and cocked one of his eyebrows at Mystogan who saw that as another thing to tell him if he could ever beat him, though right now Locke was badly injured and would not last much longer when he continued fighting. Mystogan saw by looking at his body language the intent to carry on no matter what.

"Fine, if you don't say anything about it then I'll make sure you speak." Mystogan declared and pointed one of his Staves at Laxus but stopped when he had heard a powerful roar coming from outside the Cathedral. "What in Earthland?" He asked.

_Now Garchomp, while Laxus is occupied! Use Dragon Dance, then Dragon Rush and destroy the Thunder Palace! _Came the command of his Trainer and Garchomp then grinned with delight. Greninja was standing next to her and quickly backed away as she began pounding both her feet on the ground and was circled by four blue circles on the floor.

Garchomp then began glowing a red colour as both her Attack and Speed rose by one stage and she arranged her fins into flight mode then jumped in the air and took off, heading for the one to the right of the Thunder Palace Lacrima she had destroyed during the test. With only five minutes remaining until it would detonate the Lacrima began glowing with electricity and the residents were getting nervous, not helped by all of the fighting that was going on.

As soon as she started attacking all of the Lacrima that was surrounding Magnolia Town, Garchomp began to let out a loud and mighty roar as she had dashed through all of them, surrounded by the spiralling blue of Dragon Rush and to the people on the ground she appeared to be gaining speed.

As she was destroying each and every one of them the damage that the Battle of Fairy Tail had done could be seen from above with the bodies of unconscious Fairy Tail members that were lying all over the place. Approaching the outskirts of Magnolia Town, Garchomp first saw the form of Reedus Jonah who had recovered from his encounter with Freed and looking up in awe.

The second person she saw was a cloaked figure who didn't look up or give any sort of attention towards her, it was just staring over Magnolia Town as if expecting something. Not long later she dashed past Mira, Elfman, Cana and Juvia who were all looking up and trying to find the source of the roar.

"What is that?" Juvia asked weakly, still in Elfman's arms and slightly hesitant as well.

"It's gotta be Rex's giant blue dragon for sure. Her name's Garchomp, but I don't get why she would do something like that." Mirajane answered.

"G-giant blue dragon?!" Juvia wailed in horror. She recalled seeing such a creature several days back, but what had happened at the Tower of Heaven had shaken her up badly she barely noticed it.

"It's going through all of them like a man." Elfman added.

Cana turned to face him out of annoyance more than anything. "Garchomp is female, Elfman." She stated.

That was the last of things she could hear, though it looked like it was devolving into an argument between Cana and Elfman over her gender. Garchomp quickly looked forwards again and berated herself silently, knowing that she could be distracted by anyone or anything else whilst she did this. Looking around, the work was already more than halfway done and then came another triumphant roar as she spotted both Erza and Rex running towards Kardia Cathedral.

Skirting past the Guild Hall, Garchomp caught a brief glimpse of Porlyusica tending to a very ill Makarov who was lying in a peaceful state despite his condition and knew that she would go there next once she let herself cool down after doing this job. Once the others knew about this they were going to have a dragon joining in on the battle and in under a minute and a half her work had been completed and every last Lacrima had been totalled.

Landing next to Greninja who scampered further away out of safety Garchomp let out one final roar before a colossal bolt of lightning impacted her. Although the electricity itself didn't do any damage the force of all of the Lacrima hitting her did send her onto one knee to keep herself upright. "Heh, nothing done to me whatsoever. Even the force was weaker than I expected." She guffawed and stood up again, seemingly fine.

Back at Kardia Cathedral the three participants of the battle had briefly stopped to work out what the roaring was and then looked out one of the windows as the massive bolt of lightning detonated on the person (in reality a dragon) who had just attacked all of the Lacrima at once.

Laxus looked confused for a moment but looking outside behind Mystogan, and that confusion turned to anger once he realised the Thunder Palace had been destroyed. "Impossible! No one could have taken that many Lacrima like that and still be standing!" He growled and turned back angrily to face Mystogan who had a calm look on his face.

"I highly doubt that Laxus. My guess would be that one of Vermend's friends that travels with him did all of this work. Someone who either easily resists or is immune to lightning based Spells." Mystogan responded to him and Laxus remembered what had happened when he briefly clashed with Rex after Phantom Lord attacked.

Laxus was shaking out of anger again and then heard a noise to his right and made the unfortunate error of looking in said direction and three blazing arrows exploded right in his face. Locke had gotten up and managed to fire some more Rocket Shots at him and had a slight smirk on his face. "Please tell me no one's heard of acting?" The dark red haired Mage asked as he got up, though he was still injured.

_I thought that his Magic had been drained to nothing? But instead he was pretending to be out of power for a sneak attack, where did he learn that? _Mystogan thought as he watched Laxus attempting to punch Locke several more times but ended up missing thanks to the properties of the Silver Bow.

"When will you learn to shut up and let me pummel you?!" An exasperated Laxus asked and fired a Lightning Blast just as Locke fired an arrow towards him up close and the lightning bolt stopped the arrow, giving Locke enough time to put some distance between the two of them.

"**Ground Shattering Wave!**" Mystogan cried out and another round of purple waves of Magic travelled through the ground towards Laxus, each of them hitting him in rapid succession, culminating in the two strongest ones dealing a single, powerful blow. But the sparks that came from it showed that Laxus was still standing and had only crossed his arms.

"Are we going to keep up this game all day or am I going to have to put you kiddies to bed early?" He sneered and then turned his attention towards the entrance.

Rex and Erza had both arrived on the scene with the latter startling Mystogan who looked slightly towards his left and didn't hide his surprise and worry. "Erza?" He asked out of shock.

"Mystogan?" Erza asked in response, also surprised that he turned up.

"There you are Laxus, now I can beat your ass and end this stupid game. Nowhere left to run!" Rex shouted with delight and there was a grin plastered all over his face.

There was a brief look of concern on Laxus' face before he grinned at Mystogan. "The battle isn't over yet Mystogan!" He shouted and fired a bolt of lightning directly at his head and it was concealed by an explosion.

The looks of shock on both Rex and Erza's face grew wider and wider when the smoke cleared to reveal short spiky blue hair and Mystogan drew his hands up to no avail. Turning round to face them with a look that gave up hiding, Mystogan revealed that his face was identical to that of Jellal and Erza recoiled from the shock.

"J… Jellal…" She said and began shaking.

"What?" Rex asked and his voice deepened as he began shifting towards anger.

"Oh?" Laxus pretended to be shocked (pun intended). "You seem to know this person Erza."

"How is it…" Erza began but was unable to finish that statement.

"You especially were not supposed to see my face and for that I apologize. I am not Jellal, but I do know of him." 'Mystogan' stated before turning to leave an gathering up his Staves. "I am sorry but I cannot carry on participating in this match, I leave the rest up to you."

Rex was the first one to recover from that surprise and turned to face Erza. "Okay, let's get going right now Erza. Erza?" He asked when he got no reply from her. Erza was still shaking from the shock of seeing Jellal's face again and was unable to work out the reason for it, especially because Mystogan had been around the Guild for a while before the Tower of Heaven incident. "Snap out of it! Right now we got to focus on Laxus!" Rex called out to her and she looked at him.

Then she cried out as Laxus hit her with a bolt of lightning. "He's right Erza! You shouldn't be making such ugly faces if you're here to fight me!" He called out and laughed, at least until Rex attacked him with a Force Palm and had switched to the Fist Plate.

"Don't ever call her ugly!" Rex shouted angrily and they both clashed, creating another explosion and Locke had readied his Silver Bow to attack Laxus once more, preparing another arrow but this time aimed it towards the upper floor. Rex meanwhile began to deliver several blows starting with another Force Palm and then using Rolling Kick three times in a row.

He only got as far as the first kick when Laxus grabbed his foot and then threw Rex into the ground away from him and fired several bolts of lightning and saw the body being shocked greatly but no there wasn't a scream of pain that Laxus heard. "What?" He gasped as Rex's body faded and a punch was sent flying into his stomach encased in a green orb.

"Like Substitute? I may have had to sacrifice a portion of my stamina but I have plenty of ways to regain it, like using Drain Punch." Rex grinned as he delivered an uppercut to send Laxus stumbling backwards.

"**Grappling Arrow.**" Locke whispered and fired a silent arrow at one of the bricks above and it pulled him up after it hit one of the bricks way up above the window when it let go of him he landed with a muffled thump on the floor below him and could get a vantage point of the battle from above.

Looking down he saw both Laxus and Rex trading blows with each other and neither really looking like they were going to back down. Then Laxus fired a bolt of lightning at Rex who deflected it using Force Palm and sending crashing harmlessly against the floor, throwing up some stone and then Rex delivered a Jump Kick to the face and Laxus blocked it, but the force of the move blew his long black coat and headphones away.

Using his Lightning Body Laxus began flying through the air and attempted to attack Erza, though by this time she had recovered and managed to Requip into her Black Wing Armour and leaped backwards to avoid being hit. This didn't Laxus as he kept on trying to find her and was then blown away by a Razor Wind courtesy of Rex.

"Can't be bothered to attack me head on? This is why you're weak, because you all resort to tricks!" Laxus snarled insultingly as he reformed into his normal looking self, focusing on Rex and Erza.

"That isn't true Laxus, we can win this because we're working together. There is nothing wrong with that at all!" Rex countered but didn't move.

"**Silent Rocket.**" Locke said and fired two arrows straight at Laxus.

The blonde haired Mage sniffed the air and smelt something burning behind him and then quickly turned round to create a yellow Seal in front of him. "**Ion Discharge!**" Laxus roared and fired a multitude of yellow orbs made of electricity at the upper floor behind him, forcing Locke to take cover as most of them nearly got him.

Around his body he felt a ring of explosions and then found himself falling onto the floor below and braced himself for impact and his whole body spasmed. Looking up Locke saw the section that had been destroyed which subsequently made him fall down onto the floor and from underneath him another yellow Seal appeared. Not even a word was said before there was a yell of pain.

"Damnit it Laxus. **Moon Flash!**" Erza cried out and attacked him in a cross pattern, forcing him to stop his attack. She didn't end it there and attacked him several more times, increasing her own strength each time she did as Laxus blocked each of her blows before kicking Erza away without using his Lightning Magic.

"Now now, wait your turn to be crushed Erza!" Laxus smirked and dodged an incoming Mach Punch from Rex who then used Icicle Spear and fired all five of them at Laxus who destroyed them all with a chain of lightning. Seeing that he was still in this fight and obviously raring to go, Laxus went onto the offensive and began attacking with lightning fists and began hitting a green shield that protected Rex.

After stopping for a moment Laxus chuckled. "You really think that this will make a difference, protecting yourself?" He smirked before unleashing another bolt of lightning at him.

Rex stood his ground and his whole body began glowing an array of bright colours as it absorbed the lightning and sent double the strength of it right back at Laxus, blasting him off of his feet. This was followed up by Erza using Moon Flash again and then she delivered a strong blow from above and Laxus was sent flying down onto the ground.

Laxus got up and still had a smug look on his face, and Rex was worried about that. "I gotta admit, you sending my attack back at a stronger power was clever, but you can't keep that up forever now can you?" He grinned.

Rex frowned and didn't approach him just yet as he was trying to figure out what Laxus was doing and how he was able to take all of those hits as well as he did. Considering the number of hits that his three opponents did as well as any damage that Mystogan had inflicted as well surely should have resulted in Laxus taking some damage, unless one had an Enchantment in place. Rex snapped out of his thoughts when a determined Erza charged forwards in her Black Wing Armour to strike Laxus. "Erza wait!" he cried out too late as Laxus blocked the strike and then punched her in the face immediately afterwards.

The force of it sent Erza flying backwards though she managed to regain her balance. Rex was facing Laxus with a look of disgust on his face. "What a dirty trick, casting an Enchantment around this place!" He scowled and several runes appeared above Laxus.

"It reads 'All damage done to Laxus will be reduced by a quarter'. You're so scared of defeat that you set all these traps across the town, including here Laxus?" Erza asked with a scowl on her face.

_So it's just like Filter, except that it ignores type matchups._ Rex thought with an annoyed look on his face and knew that he would have to either change his ability to Mold Breaker and lose the boost in power for attacks that matched the Plate or boost his attacking power too which seemed like a more reasonable option. What currently also wasn't helping was the fact that his stat boosts had reset themselves after Freed forfeited and the sense that something was seriously wrong with Laxus. _He should be doubting himself, I have the advantage right?_

"Nah, I just want to see the looks on your faces when you all submit to my power." Laxus smirked and his fists lit up with electricity. He charged forwards and Rex switched to the Flame Plate, lighting himself up with Flame Charge and dashing forwards to meet Laxus head on and both sides in the clash held their ground for a minute before the lightning and fire disappeared but Rex also gain a boost to his Speed thanks to Flame Charge.

Dashing forwards with Extremespeed, Rex hit Laxus several times and the latter himself was surprised to see just how fast Rex was going and that was with the increase in speed. During a brief intermission between hits Laxus used his Lightning Body to avoid it and was surprised to see him on the defensive like this and knew that if Rex was defeated then Erza would fall shortly afterwards.

Whilst Laxus was circling the air and sending the occasional Lightning Blast down to keep them busy, Erza had Requipped into another armour and was carrying a spear in her hand instead of a sword. "Using your Lightning Empress Armour to counter my Magic. You're thinking smart Erza." Laxus mocked as he reappeared briefly and created several orbs that he fired right at Erza.

As expected of her, the orbs were deflected and Erza attacked as well with a few bolts of green lightning that were met with more lightning from Laxus and they created what would have been a rather nice shower of green and yellow sparks if the situation weren't so dire and Erza followed this up by slamming the spear into the ground and directing lighting to strike upwards.

Laxus turned his body into lightning again and then zigzagged his way through the attacks before quickly reforming and punching Erza once, sending her crashing into a pillar and then attacking her with a bolt of lightning that lit her up like a fireworks. "Don't go out like a lightbulb now!" Laxus grinned before laughing at the joke.

"Erza!" Rex cried out and then dashed forwards and attacking Laxus with Meteor Mash several times but it was blocked. The look of anger on Rex's face filled Laxus with joy.

"Did I strike a nerve?" Laxus stated sadistically before blasting Rex backwards and a yellow Seal appeared aimed towards Erza. "**Ion Discharge!**" He roared and fired a barrage of yellow orbs at Erza that sent a large crack up the pillar and Rex spotted out of fear that Erza had been badly hurt and was unable to fight.

Quite the opposite was the case as she had managed to protect herself with a green lightning shield and Laxus only looked mildly impressed. "I must admit I'm surprised at how you were able to stand up to that last one but that is all you're going to do." He grinned and then pointed at Erza and began gathering a greater amount of electricity.

"Don't you even dare Laxus!" Rex shouted and then disappeared before reappearing quickly with Faint Attack to strike Laxus and deflecting a much stronger bolt of lightning and wasn't done there. He picked him up and flung him across the other side of Kardia Cathedral with Psychic and then fired a Psyshock after switching to the Mind Plate.

Laxus quickly got up and his expression changed from glee to a confident smirk on his face. "I gotta admit I was surprised when I found out that Freed had forfeited against you. Now I think I know why, because you're stronger than an I expected, even with this Enchantment on me." He praised Rex who didn't say a word and was expecting another trap.

"What do you want?" Erza asked as she walked over to join Rex.

"To increase the stakes that's all. Here's the bet. If you win against me then I will admit that you're stronger but if I win…" Laxus paused deliberately for effect. "Then you'll have to agree with everything I say and carry out every order without any hesitation, how's that?" He finished with a leering grin on his face.

"What? Are you out of your mind?!" Erza gasped from shock and looked set to attack Laxus again if it weren't for Rex keeping a calm look on his face.

"I don't know if that's you expressing your over confidence in yourself or you want me to express my own confidence but either way that sound like a stupid bet Laxus." Rex responded, ignoring Erza as he looked straight at Laxus.

Laxus dropped his smile for a second. "If you refuse then it'll be your loss." He warned with a glare on his face.

"Perhaps." Rex admitted after taking a moment to think. "But I'd rather refuse than follow someone like you who only believes in their own power." He countered and dashed forwards with Flame Charge again and sailed clean through pure electricity as Laxus had shot forwards in his Lightning Body and headed straight for Erza.

Rex turned around and then dashed forwards again, covered by stronger flames and combined Flare Blitz with Quick Attack to stop Laxus from attacking Erza and the fire crashed into the lightning and diverted it towards one of the stone statues. There was a large fiery explosion and both males looked at each other and waited for the next move.

It was Erza who charged forwards and began attacking Laxus directly with the spear and he blocked most of them almost effortlessly, occasionally using his Lightning Magic to deflect a blow or attacking Erza in mid swing. "You've still got a long way to go red!" Laxus told her and then blasted her away with Lightning Magic and began to charge up another stronger Spell.

"Erza!" Rex cried out and then placed his body between her and Laxus.

She was struggling to get up and the injuries sustained during her moments whilst fighting Laxus were beginning to take their toll. "Be careful, if that nest attack hits you you'll be lucky to survive." Erza pointed out.

"Don't worry I know exactly what to do in this situation!" Rex grinned and his whole body began glowing gold.

"Let's see if you can withstand this." Laxus shouted and then fired an extra strong Lightning Blast at Rex, with the actual bolt of lightning being nearly twice as wide as they normally were

The golden glow faded to reveal that Rex was still in his Normal Forme and tried again to no avail. "What?" He gasped in shock before being hammered by the bolt of lightning and letting out a painful cry as it surged through him. When it finally stopped he was down on both knees and panic written all over his face, unable to comprehend what had just happened. "No, the last time I failed to use that was against Jose, but that was because I took so much damage."

Laxus began to let out a low chuckle before it rose in volume until it became loud laughing at the sight of seeing Rex down on the floor. "Did you seriously ever think that I had forgotten about our last clash?" He shouted towards the two of them, who both knew what he was talking about. Laxus had insulted Team Shadow gear along with the rest of the Guild, until Rex told him to shut up and they brawled until Makarov intervened.

"So… what..?" Rex panted weakly as he tried to get up but could only manage to get on one foot and his arms were hanging by his sides loosely.

Laxus then gave a relaxed smirk that insulted Rex even more. "Come on now, you're a smart guy. Did you expect me to have only one trap if I would ever fight?" He goaded him onwards and just waited for the penny to drop.

Rex stood there for a moment and struggled to figure it out and then realised what that had meant to him. "No… don't tell me you're not the only one under an Enchantment?" He gasped out loud and using the Mind Plate instead of looking for anything wrong with his body, searched for anything abnormal and within a few seconds he got that response as a row of runes appeared on his body.

"It says 'The bearer of this Enchantment is unable to use any form that is immune to Lightning based Magic.'" Laxus read out with a smirk on his face.

_That can't be write, I mean right. I would have known beforehand about this, so when did this happen? _Rex thought, puzzling it over until he remembered something that had happened during his fight with Freed.

"_**Dark Écriture - Hasten!**_" _The runes glowed brightly before they sunk into his body which then began to glow with a purple outline. Freed then dashed forwards and branded Rex with three sets of runes all next to each other. "Experience the three levels of torment. __**Dark Écritures - Suffering, Fear and Destruction!**_" _Casting all three of these Spells at once created a massive purple explosion, stronger than the last time and Rex was on one knee, looking far less sure of himself._

_Freed smirked as he dashed forwards and attacked Rex with he sword, faster than last time and had only just got to his feet to see a green and red blur attack him and both of his shoulders found themselves with a tear in them and Freed appeared in front of him then attacked again. This time Freed lashed out with several jabs and the sword managed to pierce his skin in several places and small red wounds began to appear in his shoulder and abdomen where the blood was being drawn. Not wasting any time he carried out Laxus' orders and wrote some runes on Rex before he took several steps backwards._

"So you had Freed write some Runes on me so you'd get another advantage?" Rex asked angrily but was still unable to get back into the fight just yet as he had to recover from the Lightning Blast that he took head on.

Erza gripped her Lightning Spear tightly as she shook out of anger and began to attack Laxus again. "Damn you!" She cried out angrily and fired several green bolts of lightning from it, but Laxus let his own Magic nullify it. Undeterred she dashed forwards past Rex and threw an armoured fist that was blocked by Laxus.

He then grabbed the Spear and began punching Erza in the face, unleashing small bursts of lightning at the same time to deal more damage. In between punches, Erza managed to strike her own punch at him and then grabbed her Lightning Spear with both hands and using her own strength to fling him over and away from Rex. Immediately afterwards she fired several green orbs of lightning at him.

Laxus got up and saw the orbs coming right at him and flared up his Lightning being surrounded by it as the orbs harmlessly attacked it. "When I become the Guild Master the first thing I'll do is to make you disappear!" Laxus angrily shouted as a large yellow aura surrounded him. Drawing his hands together he fired a bolt of lightning at Erza who used her Lightning Spear to block it, though the force was pushing her back considerably.

Erza looked at him for a moment and considered her next move. _I have to increase my strength but the only way to do that would be to switch to another Armour. _She thought and then decided to take a chance and then Requipped back into her Black Wing Armour and then renewed her assault.

Laxus electrified his fists as he began to block her Black Wing Sword and intercepted several slashes from above before dodging to one side as her sword cut to the left and taunted Erza with a small smirk and then threw several electrified punches of his own at her. They all missed for a totally different reason.

Rex Vermend had got up as soon as Laxus was facing Erza and paying total attention to her and then sent a brief telepathic message at her and then slowly approached from behind before jumping onto him and keeping him in a headlock. "I may not have access to the Earth Plate but I can still fight you!" Was the declaration that Laxus didn't want to hear of all things.

"I've got a better idea, I'll make you disappear first!" Laxus shouted at Rex and then flared up his electricity around him but there was no sound coming from him except a slow chuckle that made the others stop and look at him.

Previously there were plenty of battle wounds that could be seen on his body, but Rex was beginning to look better and better as the seconds ticked by. "Thanks for the boost Laxus!" Rex congratulated and then delivered a Double Kick to the back and lifted Laxus over his shoulder and onto the floor behind him.

"What did you do?" Erza asked with confusion.

_I used an ability called Volt Absorb. A quarter of the damage that electric attacks would normally do instead gets turned into health. _Rex replied with a smug smile on his face and that only served to enrage Laxus even more. "I may not be able to change into the Earth Plate but I can still use the attacks associated with it!" He declared.

"SHUT UP!" Laxus roared and then released a wave of electricity all around him that made Rex cover his eyes and Erza took several steps backwards. Then Laxus attacked by using his Lightning Body to headbutt Erza and then a yellow Seal appeared in front. "I'll make you disappear by making those you love suffer!" He roared.

The doors then burst open and a certain Fire Dragon Slayer charged forwards angrily, cloaked in flames. "Don't you even think about laying a finger on Erza!" Natsu roared. "**Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!**" And the fire around him intensified greatly and the attacked caught him off guard. He wasn't the only one who had come to join them and was accompanied by Gajeel as well and both Lucy and Happy.

"Tch, and I thought I was a monster." Gajeel snorted and was concealing his true feelings. "But this is just plain wrong."

Lucy and Happy were shocked to see all the damage that had been caused and immediately rushed over to help Locke who was on the ground and heavily injured. "Are you okay? Speak to me!" Lucy pleaded and shook his body a bit.

Locke could only manage to get to one knee but could not support anymore of his weight and collapsed on the floor. "G… guh! I can't do this anymore, I'm out." He admitted and with the combined efforts of Lucy and Happy was supported on his own two feet, though they were dragging on the floor slightly.

"You two as well. You're all getting in the way!" An angered Laxus said calmly before turning to face the two Dragon Slayers and Rex Vermend who had gone over to join them after teleporting Erza away from the battlefield. "So now it's the three of you huh?" He grinned.

"Don't think about underestimating us Laxus! It's you and me right now!" Natsu shouted before being hit by both Gajeel and Rex at the same time.

"FLAMING IDIOT!" Rex shouted.

"GET REAL!" Gajeel roared then calmed down almost immediately. "Take a good a look at him, he's nothing but a complete monster." He pointed out and Natsu decided to follow his advice for once and remained silent as he saw Laxus grinning and sparks flashed around him.

"And that's not the only things we have to deal with." Rex stated and both of them looked at him in confusion. "Laxus has an Enchantment that reduces the damage taken from all attacks and I can't use the physical form of the Earth Plate to negate his Lightning Magic."

Gajeel went wide eyed for a moment. "Seriously?" He barked and briefly remembered his fight against Rex when he used that Legendary Forme and unconsciously shuddered.

Rex nodded with a serious look on her face. "Absolutely, and I'm going to need your help." He added, shocking both of them at once. "I have plenty of tricks up my sleeves, so don't worry about me."

Natsu then took a moment to actually think about things. "Alright, but just this once and then we're going to see who the strongest dragon is!" He declared, mainly to Gajeel because he didn't have any problem fighting alongside Rex.

Gajeel smirked back at him. "How are we supposed to fly when the sky is full of thunder?" He replied.

"You agreed on something at last? Then let's go!" Rex shouted before taking off and using Fake Out to make Laxus flinch then used Karate Chop on his head and then followed it up with a Low Kick, tripping Laxus over.

"**Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!**" Natsu shouted as he jumped over Rex and spiralled as he unleashed a wave of fire, but Laxus managed to avoid it.

From behind Gajeel was tracking his movements. "**Iron Dragon's Club!**" He chanted and thrusted an Iron polearm at Laxus and it smashed into his leg. Wasting no time Gajeel dashed forwards to attack Laxus along with Natsu and the two of them began throwing punches and kicks. The blonde haired Mage snorted as he blocked them all with ease and also managed to get a few punches of his own in.

"**Fire Dragon's Claw!**" Natsu roared and Laxus turned to face him, receiving a flame enhanced kick to the face and then came the Fire Dragon's Iron Fist to the face and Laxus took a step backwards.

"**Mud Bomb!**" Rex shouted and flung a large round shaped object at Laxus which exploded on impact and then wagged a finger, only to get Poison Sting again. _This is getting really annoying. _He thought and decided to give some support to the group. "**Safeguard!**" He called and a light veil briefly surrounded the three of them.

"You seriously think you can all stop me? I'm the strongest in the Guild!" Laxus shouted, and still looked unfazed as he entered his Lightning Body and then attempted to attack Natsu only to be blocked by Rex Vermend who intercepted it with Sucker Punch and got hit instead. Due to having Volt Absorb, Rex simply turned a portion of the damage into health.

When Laxus reformed, surprised to see that it had done nothing then that was the time that both Natsu and Gajeel struck together.

"**Iron Dragon's Club!**"

"**Fire Dragon's Roar!**"

After Gajeel shot his Iron Dragon's Club Natsu unleashed his Roar and the flames spiralled around it and hit Laxus and then Rex began to attack again, this time forming a shining pale blue orb in his hands. "**Focus Blast!**" Rex shouted and fired it at Laxus and it lit him up in a light blue explosion.

Laxus stood up and lowered his eyes and then took several moments to consider things before flaring his lightning up again out of anger and threw up some of the stone around him. "Disappear! Disappear! Disappear!" He shouted and then discharged a wide array of lightning from his outstretched hands and in response all of the lightning simply diverted itself to Rex.

Having changed the current (puns again) Ability to Lightningrod meant that Rex was not only giving them the advantage but also allowing Natsu and Gajeel more time to attack as well. "Don't worry about it Natsu, you can freely attack." _Unless Laxus decided to augment his fists with Lightning Magic then it gets tricky._

"All right, that's good enough for me. Ready to go Gajeel?" Natsu grinned with his fists alight.

Gajeel didn't even bother with reply but merely grinned instead and then cast his Iron Dragon's Kunai at Laxus who didn't even flinch at them and then Natsu shouted "**Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!**" And then blasted Laxus with a large fireball.

"Is that really all you got Natsu?" Laxus taunted and then used his Lightning Body to gain height briefly before punching him in the stomach and towards the floor. Natsu landed and tried to get up only to have Laxus put his foot down quite literally on him and began applying pressure on it.

"Don't forget about me. **Iron Dragon's Sword!**" Gajeel yelled and then swung his sword from the left and attacking Laxus who blocked it before punching Gajeel backwards. This didn't stop him and after casting his Iron Dragon's Scales and then running forwards again, only this time a large lint green Seal appeared in front of him. "**Iron Dragon's Hard Fist!**" Laxus was then hit with a much stronger force and was enough to push Laxus backwards.

"**Volt Tackle!**" Rex shouted and then blasted forwards in the Zap Plate and delivering a stronger tackle to Laxus' gut and he was flung halfway across Kardia Cathedral.

"**Fire Dragon's Roar!**" Natsu chanted as he drew his breath in and unleashed a torrent of flames at Laxus.

"**Iron Dragon's Roar!**" Gajeel shouted as he drew in his breath and fired a silver tornado at Laxus as well.

The two attacked spiralled around each other as they both each hit Laxus with a loud boom and Rex shielded his eyes to see what had been done. _After all those attacks there is no possible way for Laxus to still be standing up after this, even with the Enchantment. _Rex thought.

Laxus began to laugh again and the three of them looked on in shock as he stood there, with Rex stumped as to why exactly. _No freaking way. _Rex thought and let out a growl of frustration. "Surprised to see me still standing? I'll let you in on a little secret, something that not even the old man knew." Laxus stated and the three of them felt a wave of Magic energy coming from out of what seemed like nowhere.

His whole body grew in muscle mass and it also completely destroyed his purple shirt he was wearing. Then a light blue light shone on his arms to reveal a partly mesh like tattoo covering a part of them and Laxus brace himself as the sparks intensified and then was surrounded by an orb of lightning that felt drastically different from the last time.

_That feeling, it's just like Natsu and Gajeel! _Rex thought to himself out of shock.

"**Lightning Dragon's…**" Laxus began and drew his head backwards, with a Seal appearing above his mouth.

"He's a Dragon Slayer too?" Natsu stated out loud with equal surprise.

"**ROAR!**" He bellowed and fired a straight beam of yellow electricity that was surrounded by many blue sparks at the three of them, not caring about Rex flashing and switching Plates. All that Laxus saw was another large explosion and there was a smirk on his face again.

"You should have realised that by now things were never going to be easy Laxus." Rex pointed out and Laxus scowled out of frustration to see him now using the Mind Plate and was exerting his psychic energy and created a Barrier to shield himself from the blow. "Though to see you using Dragon Slayer Magic is… interesting."

"This is different though, I've reached my peak and nothing can stop me!" Laxus cried out and charged forwards to attack Rex, only to be picked up and thrown away from them across the cathedral and hard into a wall. Laxus fell down and tried to fire his lightning at Rex, stronger now that he was using his Dragon Slayer magic.

Like what had happened by trying to attack Rex directly, the lightning bolt was caught in mid air and flung back past him. After using Calm Mind to help himself keep his cool, Rex began talking again. "Laxus, please stop this at once. Last chance before I get back into the fight and start kicking your ass." He asked of him and got another Psychic ready in case Laxus still continued fighting.

Laxus was getting more than annoyed at what Rex was suggesting, especially because he was getting ready for this day for a long time and everything that could be used against the Guild was gone. The Thunder Legion, the Thunder Palace. Laxus knew that none of them were wrong when Rex stated that he was all alone. _It doesn't matter, nobody cared for me ever since that day when the old man decided to kick pops out of the Guild. Vermend has only made things worse, so I have no choice but to use this! _"It doesn't matter what you throw at me, in the end _this _is all I need to exterminate pests like you!" Moving his legs so that they were a shoulder width apart Laxus began to gather an immense level of Magic Energy in the space between his hands and an intense pressure could be felt coming out from Kardia Cathedral that threatened to smother all the other Magic users nearby and then a golden light began to form. "My Dragon Slayer Magic wasn't the only secret I held!"

Upon seeing the golden light forming within Laxus' hands Rex could not hide the horror on his face when he realised that the Spell Laxus was about to invoke was the Fairy Law Spell. "Stop this Laxus! That's going too far!" Rex pleaded.

"We're not going to let you get away with this!" Natsu shouted and his fists were flaming in agreement.

"We can't do much against this Spell. If it took out Jose then what chance do we have?" Gajeel pointed out, figuring that there wasn't much they could realistically do. The two of them were also feeling exhausted from their battle with Laxus.

It was at this point that a figure came into Kardia Cathedral from the side door and they were all confused to see that Levy was in it and looking at Laxus with a sad look on her face. "Laxus! The Master is on his deathbed, you have to come and see him!" She begged and Laxus didn't move from his spot, but he did become quiet all of a sudden and felt his eyes widen briefly.

Then they shrunk again as Laxus continued charging up the Fairy Law Spell. "Heh, this is absolutely perfect. My chances at becoming the Master have never been better, especially now that the old fool is dead anyway!" He called out much to everyone's despair and Rex fell silent almost immediately upon hearing this.

Laxus was chuckling at this statement and let out a loud laugh suddenly. "It's time for Fairy Tail to die!" He yelled out and everyone there stood and looked at him with surprise on his face as he clasped his hands together. "**Fairy Law, activate!**" Then a wave of golden energy was released that began engulfing the area and above Kardia Cathedral there was a large golden Seal. From outside the conscious members of the Fairy Tail Guild watched Kardia Cathedral with a strange sense of calmness and even Erza had gotten up and hurried to the window in spite of her injuries and Porlyusica's protests.

_Rex, please stop him! _She thought with a look on her face that was steely despite Laxus' actions.

The golden light continued to expand larger and larger until it engulfed the whole Cathedral and not much later the whole city was covered in the bright light. Even Kelsier who was still waiting outside though from a long distance away compared to his meeting with Ultear though he didn't seem too disturbed about what Laxus was doing. Rather he seemed anxious, as if anticipating something. When it dissipated Laxus was smirking as he could see no initial signs of any of his enemies. "Hahaha what did I tell you? You couldn't beat me!" Laxus called out.

"But you can't respond to that can you? You're all dead!" Laxus continued shouting but suddenly stopped when he saw that all of them were still alive and were looking perfectly as if nothing had ever actually happened to them. "What…? I don't get it… how did it not work?" He asked, breathing heavily as he did so, looking into his hands. "I cast it perfectly, you punks should have been wiped out along with the old man!" He protested.

"Not a single soul has been harmed in the town." A heavily injured Freed stated as he walked into the Cathedral though was leaning on the door for support. "It doesn't matter how well one casts the Fairy Law Spell, because that Spell also looks within the caster's heart." Freed pointed out and Laxus looked at him in shock and seemed to get angry at the idea, especially when Freed smiled. "You not only have inherited your grandfather's power but also his heart as well."

Laxus shook his head in denial. "No, that's impossible. My enemy is Fairy Tail!" He yelled out.

Freed disagreed once more and looked at him with concern. "You should see your grandfather Laxus." He asked.

This made Laxus angrier before and his eyes shrank in anger again. "You're wrong, I am no longer merely Makarov's grandson!" He roared and unleashed a wave of electricity towards Freed and it rushed past him, making him take a step backwards and Freed nearly fell to the ground.

Rex had had enough though and dashed forwards with Zen Headbutt to deliver a powerful blow to his head. When Laxus recovered from it he saw that Rex had a look of anger on his face and it wasn't one of the usual angry glares either - this one was a lot more calmer and was ready to explode at any moment. "What the hell did you just say about not caring for the Master? SAY IT AGAIN!" He shouted that last part out louder than Laxus had shouted several times.

"No one tells me what to do!" An enrage Laxus roared backwards and they both charged towards each other and Rex changed into the Fist Plate and then delivered a Sky Uppercut to him and then switched into Flying/Fighting mode and then attacked Laxus with a midair High Jump Kick that sent Laxus out through the window and used his Lightning Body to curve onto the roof of the Cathedral.

The two of them faced each other in a tense standoff as the others watched outside. "Get off your high horse Laxus. Don't you understand that blood ties mean nothing in Fairy Tail, because the Guild is one large family?" Rex asked.

That struck a nerve with Laxus who let out a muted growl. "What do you know about family?" He asked backwards and Rex tensed up angrily.

Garchomp swooped in next to Rex and bared her teeth at him. "He knows a lot more than you think he does." She snarled at him and could still feel the single Dragon Dance running through her body along with another faint voice that she ignored easily right now. Laxus was silent as he looked at the strange cross between a shark and a dragon. "Me, Greninja and the others are like a smaller version of the Guild. We're all partners to Rex because of the way he earned our trust and how he built a bond on that. He's taken plenty of gambles and more often than not they paid off. None of that was from any sort of blood ties Laxus, so you need to seriously get over them!" Garchomp insisted, focusing only on him.

Laxus felt his eyes momentarily widen once more. "This is different though. Completely different to what you have been through. I AM MY OWN PERSON AND MY POWER IS ALL THAT I NEED!" He roared and struck Garchomp with a Lightning Blast, only to find that just like the time before with Rex it didn't appear to do anything.

"Your turn." Rex stated calmly to Garchomp and used Helping Hand on her claw to give her a boost to her next attack.

Two rings of hand sized stones then surrounded Garchomp and circled her at a fast rate. "**Stone Edge!**" Garchomp snarled and then fired them off unexpected, and Laxus was assaulted with them. He then tried attacking her with electrified fists but was surprised at how easily she dodged them and then was hit by a metallic tail.

Laxus felt himself fall on the ground and roll over and then got up quickly in order to use his Lightning Body spell again to attack Rex only to find that there several copies of him appeared out of thin air and was unable to tell which one was real. Laxus then reappeared and began attacking the ones nearest to him, hoping to find the real Rex Vermend but eventually found himself surrounded by aring of them both above and below him.

Having changed his ability to Technician, all of the Rex Vermend's present then prepared to use Hidden Power. "I warned you Laxus!" They all shouted and from the 20 odd illusionary copies they each fired a strange green ball of energy with each one being a different type, though out of the Plates already unlocked and a couple of them were unfortunately Hidden Power Electric and thus did nothing.

When Laxus recovered he saw Garchomp firing off a Fire Blast close to him, and had no time to dodge the attack. It still didn't end there as now Rex assaulted him by teleporting and cutting Laxus with Aerial Ace, gashing his lower body due to the 50% boost in power from Technician, and then he quickly turned round and smacked Laxus up with Force Palm.

Although Laxus was weakening at this point he was able to recover from the attacks and then punched Rex aside with an electrified fist and then raised the same fist, this time clenched, into the air and a vast quantity of lightning gathered from it. "Resounding through the air, the roar of thunder, plunge from the heavens and reap destruction!" Laxus growled. "**Raging Bolt!**" He chanted and a large lightning bolt descended from it right on top of Rex.

"Rex!" Garchomp cried and she then tackled Laxus with Dragon Rush and he crashed onto the roof below him and then continued to assault him. _Okay, let's try and remember some of my other moves. _She thought, having grown accustomed to using certain ones and started out by flying straight towards Laxus and using Slash across his chest and then slashing across it once more with Dragon Claw. _Not bad, it's a start. _She thought as Laxus threw several fast punches at her but they didn't do much at all.

Using his Lightning Blast, Laxus aimed it at Garchomps head and she was forced to close her eyes as everything became a hazy yellow flash that was difficult to make out. Relying on her other senses, she used her nose to locate Laxus and then received several punches to her body and despite planting one fin firmly in the ground Garchomp felt her whole body moving backwards. _This guy is one tough nut to crack, so I gotta do my best to keep him away from Rex. _Garchomp thought and catching his scent again she launched herself upwards and attack Laxus from behind with Dragon Rush.

After successfully punching Garchomp away, and only seeing her as a minor annoyance, Laxus travelled in his Lightning Body up towards Rex who was still on the ground and recovering from the Raging Bolt, and was smoking considerably. "You were a fool to think that you could stand a chance against me." Laxus taunted as he stood next to Rex, lying down looking at the ground. Smirking he kicked him over onto his back only to get hit by the Dragon Rush and the two of them sailed over the head of Freed, Natsu and Gajeel.

"Who is that?" Freed asked, having not seen Garchomp before.

"Garchomp, easily the strongest on Rex's team beside me. She has a handy immunity to electric type attacks so Laxus will have to physically attack her if he wants to damage her." Greninja stated from behind.

_First dragons and now frogs? _Freed thought and there was an incredulous look on his face.

Greninja then glared at him in a daring way. "Go ahead and call me a frog! See where it gets you!" He only calmed down once Freed shook his head, taking the warning the right way.

Laxus got up and turned to face an irritated Garchomp who was lashing her tail from side to side, making her challenge to him clearly known. "Get out of my way, and I might just spare you." Laxus ordered with a glare.

Garchomp didn't look unfazed at all as she stared right back at him. "So you can destroy my Trainer? No way. What'll happen is that I'll beat you senseless." She retorted sharply and Laxus was silent from the confidence and the fact that he could see his electrical attacks doing nothing.

"Get out of my way!" Laxus shouted and then charged forwards in his Lightning Body and began attacking Garchomp from multiple places but not really doing anything beside the power of his fists and then saw two rings of stones circling Garchomp and she waited patiently for the next move. Laxus reformed and tried to push her back with a Lightning Blast only to not do much and then get on the receiving end of a barrage of stones.

The Stone Edge that Garchomp had just fired off scored a critical hit. She could tell because of the fact that Laxus had gone down on one knee in surprise though it didn't take long for him to recover from that attack, a reason for her to be more cautious. "**Dragon Rush!**" She shouted again and charged forwards once more at him. Laxus then braced himself and attacked by electrifying both his hands and throwing them before the Land Shark Pokemon made contact and the force from the blast shattered the windows nearby.

Alas for Laxus the Dragon Rush was too strong and he was overpowered by Garchomp who then followed it up with several Dragon Claws and then used Iron Tail to smack him into the sky. She then let out a roar that made Greninja frown and get worked up. "This is not going to end well for Laxus." The Ninja Pokemon noted.

Levy, who had joined them turned to face Greninja with some surprise. "Why not?" She asked.

Greninja turned to look at Garchomp with a look of sadness in his eyes. "Normally, a Garchomp cannot learn the move Dragon Dance through any method. But she was… forced to learn it. She can use it, but with each use comes an increased chance of going berserk." Greninja pointed out as Garchomp began lashing out at Laxus with Iron Tail and a snarl was on her face.

"How do we stop it?" Freed asked as Levy began panicking.

"We can't." Greninja replied and both Gajeel and Levy recoiled in shock, and Natsu growled. "The only ones capable of doing that would be Garchomp herself and Rex, though it often ends with him being hurt." He stated before looking at her in a more relaxed tone. "Good, she's regained control."

After flying through the air and flinging Laxus down towards the ground with Iron Tail,Garchomp let out another cry, though this time it was one more in pain rather than out of anger and she shook her head from side to side. _I lost control of myself for a moment again. It's been a while since I lost control after a single Dragon Dance. That won't happen again for a while I hope. _Garchomp thought with some hope and dashed down after Laxus who soared up to meet her with his Lightning Body.

Down on the roof of Kardia Cathedral Rex lay down recovering from the Laxus' Raging Bolt and felt his vision swimming in and out of balance. _Holy crap, what does this guy have up his sleeve? At this rate I will have to use one of the Legendary Formes again. Right now Laxus makes Jellal feel like Aria and that's saying something. _He thought incredulously and felt his stomach heave slightly as he got up and witnessed Garchomp busy engaging Laxus and also witnessed her freaking out moment as well. After regaining her sanity Rex let out a sigh of relief.

Then there was a voice in his head again, though unlike at the Tower of Heaven it was a different voice and it was one that Rex hadn't heard for ages. _So we meet again Rex Vermend, though I'm afraid I cannot do so physically at the moment due to Arceus. I've been watching recent events unfold and I am surprised at how you're struggling. After all, you and I met a few years ago and we fought together twice. _It was a loud but calm voice, and Rex was the only one who could feel the fire coming from it.

_Hah, what did you expect Reshiram. Do you think I'd ever forget you? That's insulting! _Rex replied telepathically, though privately noted to make sure if anyone was to talk to him suddenly again that they would need a password.

_I hope you're joking about needing a password. _Reshiram pointed out rather bluntly. _Anyway, what I also came here to say is that you have a vast reserve of power within you and with just the right push I can let you unleash a dormant power within. Do you remember what I said the first time we met? _The dragon asked, referring to when they first met and Rex thought back to that.

* * *

**Dragonspiral Tower**

_The Dragonspiral Tower had been built many years prior, a long time before both Reshiram and Zekrom had been formed by the two brothers. It consisted of several tall round towers with windows arranged in a spiral like pattern, hence the name sake. The Dragonspiral Tower was mostly made of pale concrete bricks though there were plenty of plants that had grown on the base of it over the years, using the lake that surrounded it as a source of water. Most of it was in ruins but it was accessible to any Trainer who wished to scale it to the top, though it had been previously inaccessible for many years and that was down to the work of Team Plasma several years ago._

_Recently there were rumors that a single Trainer was occupying the Tower and by his actions, several of them assumed that he was searching for something. Others came up with a theory that he was waiting for someone and thus several Trainers who were hoping to get a rare or even legendary pokemon there would quickly be chased out of the Tower. As a result only the brave (or very foolish) dared to even go up there. Naturally for the 15 year old Rex Vermend this excited him curiously, merely because he wanted to see what was at the top for himself. Climbing the Tower was easier said than done, mainly due the number of pokemon that came from the same region - including Fraxure, Golett, Woobat and Swoobat, Boldore and the occasional Druddigon lurking around._

_Along the way, Sliggoo fainted after arun in with two Golett that suddenly attacked out of nowhere and Greninja had trouble with a Druddigon, but other than that climbing the Dragonspiral Tower was a lot different to the impression. The only thing that wasn't different to what they had told him was the number of floors and by the time Rex was nearly at the top he was panting. _That was longer than expected, and that really is saying something considering I don't get tired easily. _He thought and guessed he was almost at the top as he saw light coming from the stairs above him._

"_So what they said was true. There really is someone up at the top." Rex said out loud, though the person already knew he was there._

_The male that was also occupying the Dragonspiral Tower had long lime green hair that was tied back in a ponytail and it was still somewhat messy though in a symmetrical way. He was taller than Rex and wore a black shirt underneath a larger white shirt that was looser, and across his neck he wore an object that was shaped like a black orb with a white and blue cross shape on it. Around his right wrist he wore a dark armband with grey squares on it. His trousers were a light grey and his own shoes were green. On his head was a mainly dark cap. "Another Trainer it would seem, my friend." The male stated before turning to face Rex. "My name is N, and what about you?" _

N… that name is familiar. _Rex thought. "Rex Vermend. I've heard about an unnamed Trainer taking residence in this Tower and you're said person right. But your name… it is familiar and I can't remember it though." He admitted and let out a sigh._

"_Then let me help you. I was the King of Team Plasma, but no longer." N answered with a smile before appearing distracted. "I know you're suspicious my friend but the look on his face is out of curiosity and not greed."_

_Rex looked around quickly and took a hesitant step backwards, expecting an attack. "Who are you talking to?" He asked and then saw a vast shadow growing behind N and was even more afraid._

_N let out a slight chuckle. "I can tell that you've also noticed my friend. Say hello to him Zekrom."_

_Zekrom, the gigantic pokemon N was referring to, was a black bipedal dragon with black hexagonal shaped shoulder pads and a pair of red scleras and white irises and black pupils with a pair of wings and three black claws on its hands. For it tail it has a gigantic turbine that looked like it had been separated into three separate parts and the tip spiked out, and it also stood at at least twice Rex's height, being larger than even Aggron. It let out a low growl and blue sparks flashed around its body._

"_Zekrom's telling me to test you. I'm sorry about this, but some people have tried to claim a great power only for their selfish needs and have always lied to me about their intentions." N hardened his eyes for a moment._

"_I know all about that. I ran into Team Plasma in Driftveil City and Castelia City, and I've been there to stop them. I don't know or don't care what they plan on doing - even if it's something mundane like taking over the world, but after experiencing… _that, _I understood that I needed to stop them at all costs." Rex said seriously and Zekrom looked at him sharply in surprise and there was a low rumble that came from his throat._

_N looked up at him in genuine confusion and then the place fell silent for another moment. "Uh huh… yeah… I see… you think?" N asked and then considered it for a moment. "Then let's give it to him. Zekrom is sensing the passion inside you and understands it, and he does worry about you too though I know I can't do anything about that." He added and handed him a round white orb with three light gray stripes on it and handed it out towards Rex._

"_What is that?" The brown haired Trainer asked and looked on in confusion._

"_It's an ancient artifact called the Light Stone and it houses the spirit of a legendary dragon known as Reshiram and is the opposite of Zekrom. Legend has it that they were both once a single dragon but two feuding brothers divided it into two separate ones, each of them representing their different viewpoints." N informed Rex who was holding the Light Stone._

_Rex wasn't saying anything but was figuring out the Light Stone and could certainly feel some heat coming from it but nothing had reacted to it just yet. _Okay… so what is supposed to happen now? _Rex thought and was still confused. "So is this thing a dud or what?" He asked._

_Naturally the or what part happened right away as the Light Stone suddenly flashed brightly and the heat suddenly intensified from it and then began to float in the air. Both N and Zekrom took several steps backwards as the Light Stone began spinning and was then surrounded by an orb of heat that expanded and then faded away quickly. _

_As the large white orb grew larger the outer shell faded and a large white dragon appeared. It had spiked white fur sprouting from two white rings around the neck and it's eyes were blue sclera and black pupils. Reshiram's claws were connected to his large white wings and it was also a bipedal dragon and he also stood tall, in fact stood about a foot taller than Zekrom. Like Zekrom as well, it has a turbine for a tail but it has two of them - one connected to each leg. _

Do you know how insulting that was? I am not a dud Rex Vermend, I AM RESHIRAM! _The dragon shouted telepathically and then let out a large howl that echoed through the tower and Rex felt his legs weaken quite a bit from the amazement. _So, does that mean it is finally time for me to change hands? It's been several years since I had a human alongside me. _He communicated to Zekrom._

Indeed. Then the time had finally come for the real test to begin, and don't forget to watch out for him when you do. _Zekrom advised to Reshiram and the Vast White Pokemon nodded despite what the Deep Black Pokemon had told him and then N jumped up onto Zekrom's back._

"_Now what?" Rex asked._

"_Now, you have to prove your worth to Reshiram by helping him in battle against Zekrom." N replied._

_Rex looked at him in shock before turning to face Reshiram and then suddenly grinned. "All right then." He said and got onto Reshiram's back by climbing onto his tail and then hanging onto where his pair of white wings began. "So let's go Reshiram!" Rex grinned with excitement and the two dragons let out their respective cries that reverberated throughout the Dragonspiral Tower._

"_Zekrom use Dragon Breath!" N commanded and the large black dragon fired a purple blue pulse of energy towards Reshiram._

"_Use Dragon Breath as well!" Rex stated in reply and Reshiram fired the same purple blue pulse of energy but due to Reshiram having a higher Special Attack stat than Zekrom, the white dragon's attack overpowered his black counterpart and then scored a hit on the Deep Black Pokemon. _Grr, this is gonna take a while, it'll be a long battle for sure.

Don't doubt yourself like that Rex Vermend, winning the fight isn't the be all and end all. It's the effort you put in and not giving up that matters. I have trust in you since you're the first human in a few years to be able to wield the Light Stone. _Reshiram advised him, with a wise tone in his voice that suggested he had had many years of battle experience and that the Vast White Pokemon had been through it all._

"_If you say so… then use Dragon Pulse!" Rex said and then Reshiram fired a royal blue coloured pulse of energy surrounded by faint white rings towards Zekrom._

"_Dodge it then get in close!" N replied and Zekrom jumped to the left before taking off and getting close towards Reshiram. "Now use Dragon Claw!" He commanded and Zekrom struck out with two blue claws, dealing more damage than when using Dragon Breath and Reshiram low out a low cry of pain._

"_Use Crunch to get it away from you and then blast him back with Dragon Pulse!" Rex ordered and then Reshiram's fang elongated as he prepared to sink them into Zekrom's shoulder only to get a Dragon Breath into his mouth. "What?"_

"_Zekrom and I have been travelling for a long time. We understand each other very well." N stated and Rex scowled with annoyance, knowing that he was probably right. "And thus we've managed to speak to each other through telepathy."_

"_Wow, I didn't know that such a thing was possible." Rex's eyebrows shot upwards in frustration._

It is possible you can do it too Rex Vermend, given time and practice. _Reshiram added in his head. _The reason you can do so with me is because I am allowing you to through a two way bridge of sorts. Like a bond between the two people. _He encourage and could feel the hope swell up a bit within the Trainer._

Okay, so blast Zekrom with Dragon Pulse. Don't let him get too close again the next time though. _Rex warned and the white dragon complied, letting loose a sudden blast of blue energy at Zekrom, intensifying it in bursts to push him back in the air and Zekrom began dropping some height. _Good, now continue with Flamethrower! _This was then followed up by a blast of orange flames and Zekrom shielded himself with his pair of guards protecting his claws and ripped the move in two._

_Zekrom then charged forwards again with Dragon Claw and Reshiram waited patiently before using Dragon Pulse at the last second to stop him and then clamped down on the left shoulder pad with Crunch before throwing him into a large pillar and let out a growl of anger and blue sparks flared up around him. Zekrom then inhaled before letting out a loud roar with Hyper Voice and a moment later Reshiram let out his own Hyper Voice in response and the two voices destroyed anything caught within the shockwaves._

_Like with the Dragon Breath clash Reshiram won that one two, though barely this time and Rex kept his frustration played down as he tried to figure out a way of gaining a better advantage. "Now stop Reshiram with Imprison!" N commanded, arcing his arms and Zekrom began emitting a psychic power that surrounded Reshiram in a strange blue shield._

Dragon Breath? _Rex questioned._

No, Imprison disabled access to most of my moves aside from Flamethrower, Fire Blast, Fusion Flare, Blue Flare, Fire Fang and Extrasensory. _Reshiram replied with a firm tone and Rex winced from the surprising loudness of it all._

All right then use Extrasensory and follow it up with Fire Fang if it flinches. _Rex communicated telepathically and saw N smiling in the silence of it all, if one chose to ignore the sounds made during the battle._

"_You're learning Rex Vermend, I can tell that. Zekrom is telling me that you and Reshiram are forming a bond between each other but he also senses that it is not yet complete." N reported with a calm look on him before resuming the battle by commanding Zekrom to use Ancient Power then follow it up with a combination of Thunderbolt and Dragon Rage and then the electrified shockwave of blue energy was shot towards Reshiram who stood there and took the blows and then looked right back at Zekrom._

Okay then use Extrasensory and Fire Blast! _Rex commanded telepathically towards Reshiram and then the white dragon unleashed a strange wave of psychic energy at Zekrom who flinched before unleashing an enormous wave of fire that formed into five other columns that swamped Zekrom. _Damnit! A burn on him could come in handy right about now! _Reshiram could hear the frustration in his voice, and shared some of it, but remained calm._

"_Now use Ancient Power and follow it up with Crunch!" N commanded and Zekrom dived in close to Reshiram._

Let him have it with Fusion Flare! _Rex shouted mentally into Reshiram's mind and then the twin turbines on his tails began flaring up with fire and began to hum really loud. At the same time Reshiram's mouth was being filled up with powerful flame and Reshiram drew his head backwards then suddenly unleashed a large blast of fire that exploded in a bright orange flash and despite the disadvantage Fire against Dragon._

Now it's our turn, retaliate with Fusion Bolt. _N ordered and then Zekrom cloaked himself within blue electricity and like with Reshiram the turbine he had for a tail began to glowing a light blue at the same time and then charged forwards with speed towards Reshiram, ramming him in the neck with a large amount of electricity that was double in power from Fusion Flare being used prior. Rex hung on as he felt all the electricity surrounding him but strangely enough it didn't shock him._

Then Zekrom must have controlled the electricity to not shock me! Thank Arceus for that! _Rex thought with a grin before letting out a sigh of relief. "Can you still move Reshiram?" Rex asked with concern and looked up at Zekrom with defiance on his face._

The human over there is still willing to fight, good. He is almost there to passing the test but is still missing something. _Zekrom stated to N, turning his head to look at him and the green haired male nodded once. This was a distraction that allowed Rex to take out a simple Pokeball, containing the Pokemon that would help him out the most and prepared it._

Rex is still willing to continue as am I. We won't give up just yet brother. _Reshiram replied and let out a loud howl as Zekrom looked on with amusement and then fired another Dragon Breath at Reshiram and then closed in on him and used Slash, and at the same time caught a face full of Flamethrower. Then the great and glorious being known as the Chance God rolled in and Zekrom found himself burnt by sheer dumb luck._

"_We can still stop them. Use Thunderbolt and make it a strong one!" N commanded and then the turbine tail on Zekrom began to glow and burst back into life as the Deep Black Pokemon fired a blue Thunderbolt as opposed to the usual yellow and then N looked on in surprise as it stopped a few feet away from Reshiram and was then thrown to the side by an outside force. "But what...?"_

"_My Gardevoir, that's what." Rex grinned as he jumped off the dragon along with Gardevoir and not a moment later were being levitated in mid air with Psychic._

Very impressive thinking. Using your Gardevoir to deflect the attack and then having it levitate you in the air, your ability to adapt to the situation around you should also be praised. _Reshiram approved before looking back at Zekrom and letting out a loud howl to show he was still ready to take him on._

"_(I would also like to help Reshiram as well, what is my first call of action?)" Gardevoir asked of Rex and moved the two of them back a few feet._

"_I can see you want to help. Right now use Calm Mind, but don't jump into the fray yet, focus on using Psychic to deflect any special attacks towards Reshiram." Rex asked and then turned back to N and Zekrom, whilst Gardevoir drew her hands to together and three blue waves of energy rippled across her body. _Okay, keep using Extrasensory for the moment Reshiram.

_Reshiram nodded once and then unleashed another strange wave of Psychic energy at Zekrom but this time there was no flinching. Zekrom then began to get closer towards Reshiram, forcing the white dragon to gain more height by flying away from it and the black dragon kept up the pursuit, sending out the occasional Dragon Pulse though that was deflected away thanks to the work of Gardevoir._

_Zekrom's fangs both elongated and then were charged with electricity and he gained a burst of speed, provided by electricity and bit down hard on the back of Reshiram, forcing the dragon downwards. Above the tower and surrounding it was a fog that make it hard to see what exactly was going on there. It had began to roll in before the battle and it picked up during it, providing some much needed cover for the two of them._

_Reshiram kept going downwards and Rex nodded once to Gardevoir who used Psychic to keep Zekrom in the air but he could also see the strain that it was putting on her though once the two dragons were separated she let up the pressure on her mind and then moved them both closer to the fight. _How are you feeling? Can you still fight without pushing yourself too far?

No, guh… I can still fight, though i should point out that the use of Imprison doesn't help things here. _Reshiram admitted and was awaiting for further orders from him._

If you insist, use Extrasensory again! _Rex ordered and Reshiram looked at Zekrom, unleashing another Extrasensory and making Zekrom recoil briefly. _Fusion Flare into Fire Fang! _Reshiram howled as he unleashed an orb of condensed fire and then dashed forwards with blazing fangs and clipped one of Zekrom's shoulders._

Now use Dragon Claw! _N ordered and Zekrom struck out with two of them at the same time and were momentarily larger than normal as it had signalled for a critical hit._

_Reshiram let out a howl in pain and stared up defiantly at Zekrom who poised for another attack only to receive a Moonblast directly in his chest and he turned to face Gardevoir and Rex who both ran over close to the Deep Black Dragon. "Even if Reshiram is down that doesn't mean I'm out, right Gardevoir?" He asked and they both saw the Embrace Pokemon nod and she still had an attacking stance._

_N closed his eyes for a moment before the slight smirk became a smile of approval on his face. "That's enough, the test is over and you've passed." He concluded and saw the sceptical look on Rex's face. "I mean it. You were willing to protect Reshiram selflessly even if that meant having your own Pokemon go up against a Legendary. That is the sort of thing Reshiram values, one's own true feelings." He elaborated as Reshiram got up and looked at Zekrom in a non challenging way before turning back to face Rex and then reverted back to his Stone form._

_Rex caught and looked at the Light Stone, and saw the face of Reshiram looking at him through it. He could also still hear his voice too. _When the time is right you will know what to do. Don't forget that when all seems hopeless I will be there for you as the champion of truth. _Reshiram reminded him with a smile of approval on his face._

"_What about you? Are you going to stop Team Plasma as well?" Rex asked pointedly._

_N nodded. "I will, but now is not the time. I have yet to figure out what they want, but when I do I will make sure that Ghetsis is stopped as well, regardless of our own blood ties." He promised cryptically and the two of them shook hands and watched Rex begin his descent before turning back to face Zekrom and begin another discussion._

* * *

**Present Day**

_Don't forget when all seems hopeless I will be there for you as the champion of truth. Isn't that right? _Rex replied with a grin and watched as Garchomp began attacking Laxus again, though the latter was dodging with his Lightning Body and conserving his Magical Power. _So how is this going to work? _He asked Reshiram again.

_Just relax and let me do all the work for you. _Reshiram responded.

Rex then tried not to focus on anything and just imagine that he was on his own in a field. Then there was a strange feeling that filled himself with a currently unknown power and his body began radiating white energy. _Incredible, what is this feeling? _Rex thought with some intrigue, and whatever it was was giving him not only the strength but also the confidence needed and then the white aura intensified, making everyone look his way. "Laxus!" He shouted out loud and both Garchomp and the S-Class Mage moved back to him.

"You're joking, how can you still stand after this?" A frustrated Laxus shouted and sparks flared up around him.

"You feel different Rex, are you okay?" Garchomp asked with some concern.

"Don't worry about that Garchomp, an old friend visited me though this power feels strange." Rex admitted before turning back to face Laxus with a smile on his face. "Now I… no we will finish this Laxus, all of us!" He proclaimed out loud and they both noticed that Rex's eyes were now a vibrant blue colour and his diamond earrings were red.

* * *

**Agh, finishing this chapter was a real pain, there just seemed to be more and more of it. Most of it was down to suddenly watching the XY anime, which is great if you stopped during the awful BW Saga and right now I just finished Korrina's arc with Lucario, and Ash catching Hawlucha (best voice in the anime beside Pikachu and Dedenne). Another reason was the last scene dragging on longer than expected.**

**Next Time - Fantasia**

**Despite a long and fierce battle against Laxus, along with the help of several other members of the Fairy Tail Guild the final battle in the Battle of Fairy Tail and some support from an old friend don't miss the explosive conclusion!**


	25. Fantasia

**Okay, so I'm going to put something to rest brought up by two of the readers of this. The first thing is that last chapter was primarily an action oriented chapter, so I should hopefully have some more romance in this one. The second thing is that this is not a Dragon/Fire mode Reshiram has given Rex, please read the last part of the chapter carefully. I cannot stress this part enough.**

**Previously on Guardian Fairy -**

**Rex:** You should see this long battle Father! Not long after I finished my fight with Freed, Mystogan and Locke both began their own fight with Laxus, and when Erza and I were there we got a major shock. Mystogan has the same face as Jellal! That is not possible though that they could be the same person though, I know Jellal was there at the Tower of Heaven! The two of us ignored that though as Laxus revealed two clever traps that made things even worse, dealing with him was not easy. Then after Natsu and Gajeel joined up, Laxus revealed that he was a Lightning Dragon Slayer _and_ that he could also use Fairy Law. It failed though and now with a bit of help from Reshiram I gotta make him realise he _does_ care for everyone in Fairy Tail!

* * *

**Chapter 25 - Fantasia**

"You're joking, how can you still stand after this?" A frustrated Laxus shouted and sparks flared up around him.

"You feel different Rex, are you okay?" Garchomp asked with some concern.

"Don't worry about that Garchomp, an old friend visited me though this power feels strange." Rex admitted before turning back to face Laxus with a smile on his face. "Now I… no we will finish this Laxus, all of us!" He proclaimed out loud and they both noticed that Rex's eyes were now a vibrant blue colour and his diamond earrings were red.

Laxus charged forwards in anger and Rex just stood there, waiting for him. When he was close to striking him they both felt a wave of energy emit from him and sensing where Laxus aimed his electric fist Rex jumped to the side. Feeling the energy pulse through him again Rex dashed forwards and attack with a kick aimed at Laxus chest and he channelled power through it, producing a white shockwave as Laxus stumbled backwards. Laxus then fired a Lightning Blast towards Rex and Garchomp got in the way with her fin and it did absolutely nothing.

"**Lightning Dragon's Roar!**" Laxus shouted and fired a beam of electricity from his mouth directly at Garchomp and pushed the blue dragon back a great deal and she fell onto the floor, next to Levy and Happy. Then he charged forwards at Rex again who blocked the next fist with an outstretched palm. Upon contact being made there was a blast of white energy mixed with lightning, and Laxus kept his ground as he increased the force of his fist and Rex turned one of his feet to one side to hold his ground too.

When they finally separated Laxus felt the force rebound on him and he was flung back and then punched the ground in anger as he glared at Rex Vermend and drew both of his fists backwards. A yellow Seal appeared as Laxus chanted, "**Lightning Dragon's Breakdown Fist!**" and from the Seal a large fist made of lightning appeared and shot towards Rex.

Crouching down, he then jumped into the air and began drawing white energy towards his hands and formed an Aura Sphere and then fired at Laxus who merely blasted at it with his lightning. As soon as Rex hit the ground he ran forwards and attacked upwards with Force Palm, lifting Laxus into the air and in the other was a flaming fist.

"**Fire Punch!**" He shouted and then dealt an uppercut to Laxus again. Then his feet were coated in flames and followed it up with two Blaze Kick, the first one being an attack from the side and then another one sending him farther up in the air. Crouching once more he felt his whole body being cloaked in a powerful fire. "**Flare Blitz!**" He yelled out and then charged towards Laxus, and everyone could see a fiery explosion in mid air and Laxus coming down on the floor, getting up to face Rex.

The blonde haired Mage looked on in shock as he saw that he of all people was tiring out and then launched forwards at Rex again in anger. Though all of his melee attacks were doomed to miss as Rex ducked and barrel rolled to the right before jumping up into the air and releasing another small wave of energy that told Rex to attack and he did so, lashing out with Cross Chop and then began to form a purple orb within his hand.

"**Ion Discharge!**" Laxus roared and fired a volley of electrical orbs at Rex. He didn't expect Garchomp to get back up so soon and charge at him with Dragon Claw and she was still boosted by a single Dragon Dance so it did more damage than he expected, though it wasn't helped by the fact that she struck in the same area as Rex had done with Aerial Ace.

"**Psyshock!**" Rex called out and fired the orb at Laxus and then used Psychic to send all the remaining orbs of electricity back towards Laxus who had crossed his arms. _His Dragon Slayer Magic means he can absorb any lightning other than his own. _Rex thought and was surprised to see how calm he was, owing it to the strange power that Reshiram helped him unlock briefly.

"I've had enough of these foolish game, it's time for me to end this!" Laxus roared and began drawing both of his outstretched hands above his head and immediately an array of sparks began flashing and concentrating on the space within them and the electricity began forming the shape of some sort of weapon. Whatever it was, Rex knew for certain that it was generating a large amount of Magic Power and kept his eye on it.

Recognising the Spell that Laxus was about to use Freed let out an audible gasp. "Laxus, don't do it! That Spell could kill!" He warned out desperately.

Another effect of the as yet unknown power that Reshiram had helped him use was that his senses had been heightened and Rex had heard Freed. Then he turned to face the green haired member of the Thunder Legion before saying to him in a calm loud voice, "Don't worry about it, I've got this Freed."

The confidence in his tone made Freed look on in surprise. _Is he seriously thinking about taking it head on? But after Laxus had cast his Raging Bolt… _Freed couldn't finished that thought as he wanted to see what was going to happen.

The lightning that was gathering on the palms of Laxus' hands form the shape of a polearm weapon also known as a Ji that Laxus then threw directly at Rex. "**Lightning Dragon's Heavenward Halberd!**" He chanted with a grin on his face. More lightning gathered around the spear as it travelled closer towards Rex. "Goodbye to you Rex Vermend!" Laxus roared.

Placing his palms together, Rex felt the energy surge around him and concentrated it into his hands before bending backwards as it sailed past him and to the surprise of everyone watching he outright caught the Ji in his hands. "W-WHAT?!" Laxus shouted in disbelief as he saw Rex twirling the spear in his hands expertly like it was nothing. "How on Earthland can you do that?" Laxus demanded, too shocked to say much words.

Rex smirked before laughing. "You should see… hahaha… the look on… hahaha… your face!" He chuckled and then began losing his calm composure for once since Reshiram helped him. "Simple, I've had some experience with using a weapon thanks to training Gallade. So come on!" He challenged Laxus once he calmed down with the spear held out, and the electricity in it was more controlled than when Laxus fired it.

"That's it, no more fooling around. **Lightning Dragon's Breakdown Fist!**" Laxus roared and fired another fist of lightning at Rex who dodged to one side and then attacked Laxus with the Ji, utilizing the practice he had had with Bone Rush and then incorporating that into his fighting style. Laxus tried to his him physically and when that didn't work fired his own bolts of electricity at him.

This didn't stop Rex at all as he thrusted the Ji forwards and quickly drew it backwards when Laxus tried to grab it and then smacked him several times somewhat comically and then smacked him on the head. "Now Garchomp!" Rex shouted and the blue dragon charged forwards with Dragon Rush, attacking whilst surrounded by blue energy and Laxus was forced backwards by Stone Edge and forcing Laxus into his Lightning Body and into the air.

_Damnit, I can't believe that I'm being forced to run using my Lightning Body! _Laxus thought in frustration and then reformed and turned to deliver a powerful punch towards Garchomp who blocked it with a fin. _And my lightning isn't doing a thing to this dragon like creature. What the hell I'm supposed to do? _He growled and then began to attack Garchomp with a flurry of fists and the blue shark like dragon matched those blows by using her fins to block his blows.

"You're catching on to the fact that your lightning isn't affecting me, so now I get to beat the crap out of you!" Garchomp smirked and then struck forwards with a combination of Slash and Dragon Claw and Laxus used his Lightning Body to charge forward and headbutt Garchomp. Though it didn't do much damage he at least didn't get hurt by any of her attacks.

Rex then tackled Laxus with Extreme Speed and a Double Kick and then turned to face Garchomp. "Get Laxus into the air, and make it snappy!" He ordered, and she could tell he was going to end this quickly.

Garchomp nodded with a grin before attacking Laxus with Dragon Rush and he flinched from the move, which was what all of this depended on and she then used Iron Tail, wrapping it around his next then turning to fling him up high, using both her claws to secure herself in the roof and put all her effort into the throw and Laxus flung high into the air.

"All right, it's time for us to fly high, Fairy Tail!" Rex shouted and everyone from below looked on as they could tell he was going to finish this, and predictably he was going to do so in an over the top fashion. Rex twirled the lightning spear in his hands and drew back before throwing it like a javelin aiming for Laxus and during the flight it was cloaked in flames, and it exploded in (mostly) lightning and flames. Laxus began falling with plenty of injuries visible.

"And now for the second part. Ability Change: Huge Power." Rex grinned as the white aura faded and he switched to the Sky Plate and was emitting a bright golden light and then released a burst of energy as he began flying in the air and dashing towards Laxus with Sky Attack. "The Guild was open to everyone Laxus, but you chose to ignore it in favour of going it alone. As a result, you became cold on the outside and you lost your your heart lies with Fairy Tail!" Rex shouted and he carried on straight for the falling S-Class Mage of Fairy Tail and he drew a fist back before thrusting it forwards at Laxus. There was a flash and an explosion in the air as everyone looked on with a smile on their faces, except for Gajeel who kept a neutral look on his face.

From the Fairy Tail Guild, both Erza and Porlyusica were watching the final battle between Laxus and Rex (with Garchomp), and they all witnessed the sudden burst in power from him. _I've never felt something strange like that coming from Rex, but at the same time it feels familiar. Is it some kind of unknown Magic? _She mulled it over and saw Laxus being flung into the air by Garchomp and upon seeing what happened next she let out a smirk. "Typical of him." Erza commented with a smile on her face.

Outside the Town of Magnolia, Kelsier watched as Rex got back up to fight from a distance with a grin on his face as he observed the moves that the Multitype using were doing to avoid Laxus' attacks. "Well colour me purple, Master you should have been here to see this! What you thought about him was right after all." He spoke out loud and then removed the mask on his face.

"Ah… nice fresh air. Looks like I'll have to keep myself busy until…" Kelsier began to mutter until he spotted as if listening to something. "Right now… with them? But Reeze only has information on the five other members and nothing about the leader." He pointed out. "*sigh* Alright, if you say so." Kelsier relented before putting back on the mask and turned to walk away from Magnolia Town with a grin still hidden underneath it.

Laxus fell down on the ground and was now unconscious, succumbing to all of his sustained injuries and Rex landed next to him, equally tired but also triumphant and then he grinned before grinning and letting out a roar of joy and Garchomp grinned as she landed next to him and then she caught him as Rex began falling over from exhaustion and she chuckled. "Told you so." Garchomp growled at Laxus.

It was with those final words from the pseudo legendary Pokemon the Battle of Fairy Tail had come to a close. As a result of Laxus' games the Fantasia Parade was put off for a couple of days so that Master Makarov could recover from his health - a fact that was not lost upon the other people living in the town. At the Guild Hall despite what had happened, there was still the normal relaxed atmosphere, after a few friendly revenge fights amongst those who were knocked out during the initial stages of the Battle of Fairy Tail.

As of those who were still around and had fought the Thunder Legion and Laxus the only one who needed serious attention was Rex, Laxus and Locke. Currently Locke was hanging out with Cana and Greninja near the bar, with the two people having a mug of beer each as the Archer and the Ninja Pokemon told her both about their fight with Bickslow.

"So despite having both your eyes shut you still managed to win against Bickslow? I have to say I'm impressed by both of you." Cana smiled after they wrapped up their story.

Despite sustaining a few heavy injuries against Laxus, Locke only needed bandages along his arms and the lower half of his legs along with a few plasters on his face. "Thanks. I'm just glad that Rex and Erza both showed up when they did." Locke smiled and then caught himself by surprise to find that he was indeed smiling more than normal, and thought that this change might be a good one for him.

Greninja shrugged casually, not wanting to boast about it. "If anything the one you should thank is Garchomp, without her the whole town would be toast and things might have gone a little differently." He pointed out and the mood nearly darkened. "But that's in the past now, and we should be grateful for them." The Ninja Pokemon grinned, opening his eyes.

Cana shuddered a little. "Why are your eyes sometimes straight lines and other times actually looking at us?" She asked, as his eyes had become straight lines.

"It's because I do this-" Greninja interrupted himself to open his eyes just like Cana had described before relaxing to seemingly shut them. "-when I concentrate. I was doing it a lot until recently because of the fact that I needed to understand this a bit more." He explained before looking to face Garchomp who was sleeping next to Elfman, and didn't look like she wanted to be disturbed.

That didn't stop Happy from walking all over her and in her little dream she was currently having it felt like her back was itching so she moved a claw over and Happy flew into the air. Amusingly he found out that this made her drop the claw down to her side again and she then yawned, displaying her rows of sharp teeth to the people interested. Thus, Happy began alternating between walking on her and flying in the air to annoy her, and it was going a little bit too well because this made garchomp wake up and Happy flew out of the Guild Hall as fast as he can. It took Garchomp little more than a second to catch up with him and she hit him on the head with Dragon Claw, knocking the blue cat out.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Natsu shouted, and everyone turned to face him. Like Locke and a few others, Natsu had only come off with minor injuries and wasn't as bad as a select few. Aside from a couple of bandages on one of his arms and the body Natsu was more or less fine.

Gajeel sneered back at him. "I said if ya can't beat Laxus then how do you think you can beat Vermend?" He questioned. "Besides, I'm going to defeat him when I fight him again." Gajeel also only required a few bandages and took them off before Natsu could.

Natsu snorted. "Not if I get to him first you hear me. FIGHT ME RIGHT NOW REX!" He demanded.

Rex Vermend was easily the most injured out of everyone in the Guild Hall, except maybe Laxus who he actually defeated. He was covered in bandages on his arms, legs and body. The only place there wasn't bandage was from his neck upwards and on his face there were several plasters to help soothe the injuries picked up from fighting both Freed and Laxus and was sitting down at a table with someone. "Not right now Natsu I gotta heal up first for starters." The white haired male pointed out as Mirajane came up to him with a cup of black coffee and two sugars. "Excellent, now I can use Psychic and-"

Naturally the person he was sitting next to was Erza Scarlet and was looking at Natsu and Gajeel, waiting for one them to launch forwards only to turn around and lightly punch him in the shoulder. "You are not using any of your moves until you are fully healed." She ordered firmly.

"OOOW!" Rex complained and quaked a bit. "You didn't have to hit me."

"That's because you were going to do something reckless. In this case it would be exerting yourself more than necessary, though you should be ready in time for the Fantasia Parade, so for now you'll have someone helping you to recover." Erza reminded him firmly, and everyone else took the hint that she was going to do it. Fittingly so perhaps since they now began openly sharing romantic gestures with each other, small things such as holding each other's hands and a sharing small kiss when they though no one was looking. "Open wide." She stated and Rex obeyed, opening his mouth and Erza began applying the mug to his lips, and Rex felt the coffee flowing into his mouth and then tapped on her wrist.

"Thanks for the coffee Mirajane, perfect as always." Rex complimented her and then saw the glare on Erza's face and struggled to find the right words for a moment. "It's okay Erza, how could I forget someone as beautiful as you helping me." He stated and saw her blushing, saying that things were okay right now as she began to put the cup to his lips again and he began to drink it again.

"I hope Rex recovers in time for the Fantasia Parade. Considering all he's done during the Battle of Fairy Tail it would be a shame for him to miss out." A concerned Lucy said at the table she was sitting on. It also comprised of Juvia sitting opposite her and she sat next to Gray.

Sitting to the right of Lucy and opposite Gray was Gardevoir and the Embrace Pokemon didn't seem as concerned as she was. "Don't underestimate the time it takes for him to heal, especially because he's using a move that takes very little energy to do so. Rex would never miss the Fantasia Parade, not on his life." Gardevoir pointed out and although the lack of concern initially worried Lucy, looking at Rex she could spy a blue ring through the bandages on his wrist.

"Of course that is if the Fantasia Parade still goes on." Gray pointed out and the group sitting down faced him. "They might decide to cancel the Fantasia Parade because of what's happened." He admitted and the look of shock from those around him annoyed him slightly. "What? Just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it never will!" He raised his voice.

Erza was currently in the middle of tipping the mug into his mouth to let Rex drink his coffee when she overheard and decided to come out with something. Unfortunately while she was listening to Gray, Rex had to drink a lot of coffee at once and the heat of the drink began to burn his mouth and he made a spluttering noise that forced Erza to jerk it backwards. "Wonderful, now I can't taste anything!" Rex grumbled and looked away from Erza in mock anger.

"So you don't want me to help you drink this then?" She asked back cuttingly and got up despite his protests and then began to address the whole Guild, deciding to break the ice concerning the Fantasia Parade. "Listen up everyone!" Her voice rang out through the whole Guild Hall and they all turned to face her, with some looking on as to why she was holding a cup of coffee in her hands. "The Fantasia Parade will go on despite what has happened in three days time, so you will have plenty of time to prepare for it. And, every able bodied member of the Guild will be able to participate as well!" Erza announced and she accidently dropped the cup of coffee, breaking it and spilling it all over the floor beside her.

The cheers of delight coming from the whole Guild drowned out the tears of protest that came from Rex as he saw the coffee going everywhere and staining the wooden floor. Erza smiled as she saw the people cheering and celebrating and then the smell of warm coffee invaded her mind and looked on with horror and couldn't help but smile in an apologetic way. "Don't worry, I'll have Mirajane make another." She promised him.

Before that could happen the door opened to reveal the last person Fairy Tail expected or wanted to appear in the Guild Hall. Laxus Dreyar stood in the doorway, in his pink shirt and dark fur lined overcoat and he was looking about as fine as someone who had just gotten their ass handed to them by Rex Vermend and the smiles all instantly dropped as he began walking in, and was stopped at the first row of tables. There were bandages across his whole body and all on his arms and hands much like Rex, and on the top half of his legs were bandages as well. The most striking of the bandages though were on his forehead and one covering up his right cheek where he had received the final blow.

The mood within the Guild Hall whiplashed faster than a Ninjask at maximum speed, and that was really saying something considering how things easily change within the Guild Hall on a normal day with Natsu usually changing it. Many of the people sitting down had now gotten up and blocked Laxus' path. "What the hell does he want?" "He has the nerve to come here after what he did?" Were a few of the things that the blonde haired Mage could pick out.

"What do you want?" Gray asked angrily and looked set to use one of his Ice Make Spells on him.

Laxus kept his composure and then said in a calm tone, "I came to here to see gramps. Where is he?" He asked. Rex detected none of the arrogance that it had previously and currently sounded like someone who didn't want to talk to the place

There was a collective shocked silence from that before more cries coming from the crowd including several slurs. "Still going after the Master?" "Like that'll ever happen." "You should leave right now!" The volume from the crowd began increasing though it didn't get too loud as someone decided to step in.

"ENOUGH!" Rex shouted and stood up suddenly and jolted as he felt pain rush through his body too suddenly, signalling for him to slow down his actions. The Guild Hall looked at him as if he was mad or something though the two of them were looking at each other. "If you want to see the Master, though he'd probably talk to you anyway, Makarov is in the infirmary."

This surprised a number of people, including Team Shadow Gear who had nearly seen what Laxus did first hand to Gajeel. "Are you kidding me Rex? You're seriously not going to let him see Makarov are you?" Jet began protesting and then Rex looked at him in such a way that made him fall silent. Natsu looked like he was going to lunge at him though thankfully Garchomp was there to hold him backwards.

Everyone watched tensely as Laxus walked up Rex and the pair of them looked at each other in silence, and Erza almost went for her sword. Some of them were wondering what was going on between the two, though Rex could see that Laxus had no fight left in him and wanted only to talk to Makarov. Laxus then smiled and greatly surprised everyone before nodding and starting to walk again, having conceded officially to Rex. _Good luck wherever you go next. _Rex said to him telepathically, so that only Laxus heard.

"Laxus!" Natsu shouted and then blocked his path. Garchomp suddenly looked around her in surprise to see that there was only a shadow of where Natsu had been. "When I see you next time it's going to be you and me, one-on-one you understand!" He said loudly.

Laxus let out a low snort. "Loud as always Natsu." He remarked before continuing on past him and initially Natsu looked really annoyed that he just ignored him. That annoyance quickly became joy as Laxus waved a hand of him and that was good enough for Natsu and tears began welling up in his eyes.

"Alright, now that's over it's time to get ready for the Fantasia Parade, right?" Rex shouted and the whole Guild cheered before quickly going back to what they had been previously doing which was mainly celebrating for the fact that it was still going on ahead.

* * *

**With Laxus**

Up in the infirmary, Laxus entered quietly as he could hear the cheers and happiness down from below and saw that his grandfather Makarov was looking out a window and remaining calm. The master was now wearing a blue dressing gown that featured a yellow strip around the outside and it was tightened with a black belt. Down below the sounds of people making plans and construction work began to drift up.

"It's good to see them making a lot of noise right gramps?" Laxus asked calmly, now hearing the noise of Natsu shouting about something and then Gray with an equally loud reply. Makarov let out a calm sigh, glad that his Guild was back to be rowdy and happy as it should be.

"Do you have any idea what this place is supposed to be about?" Makarov asked and finally turned around to face Laxus and could feel a lump creeping up in his throat as he began thinking about the only choice possible given what Laxus had just done.

"Look me in the eye young man and I'll ask you again." He commanded and managed to keep the lump in his throat down for the moment and waited until Laxus obeyed before carrying on. "Do you understand the severity of what you have done in this Guild and what the Fairy Tail Guild itself stands for?"

There was a long pause as Laxus could only look on and he could see the cold stare through the warm window. "The Fairy Tail Guild is place where comrades can gather and takes in members with no kin and introduce them to a family. It is not something can be taken or owned by any single members, it's shared amongst everyone. This Guild is built on trust and confidence in others. It's how the bonds are formed - bonds that are far stronger than anything else." Makarov paused and took in several breaths. "Laxus, you've chosen to ignore and violate those bonds."

Laxus nodded slowly. "I understand gramps, it's just that… I only wanted to make the Guild stronger." He muttered, finally breaking eye contact to look away and regain his composure.

Makarov shook his head from side to side. "Would you like to know the reason I carried on? It was so that I could watch you grow up without me. Though I'll admit in hindsight it probably wasn't such a good idea at times. " He admitted regretfully and Laxus turned his head back in surprise to see the Master admitting something was his fault. "Where did we go wrong? What happened to make things the way they are? I now know that I cannot make a mistake like that again."

At this Makarov briefly considered not punishing Laxus but then knew that he had to uphold the rules of the Fairy Tail Guild and then dropped his hands. "Laxus, in accordance with the rules of the Fairy Tail Guild… I hereby banish you on account of your treasonous acts." He declared firmly lifting a hand and swiping it to one side. Anything that Laxus was going to say just left him and he watched his grandfather turn his back on him.

Laxus nodded once before turning to leave. "Thank you gramps, I understand that now. Thank you for everything."

"Just leave!" Makarov shouted loudly, though as firm as his tone was looking at his face you wouldn't believe that given the fact that he was crying and heaving from the pain of having to exterminate his grandson. Makarov was also remembering the good times he had shared with the boy, before the relationship went sour.

* * *

**Sometime Later...**

When word got out to the Thunder Legion that only Laxus was banished from the Guild, none of them took it well, especially Evergreen and Freed. "WHAT? HE'S JOKING!" A shocked Evergreen yelled out as the four of them in the same park that Laxus had nearly shocked Gajeel and Greninja in. "How can he banish you from the Guild like that yet completely overlook us!"

"Yeah!" Bickslow protested in agreement. "I mean, we're just as guilty as you are right?" he asked of his dolls.

"Justice, Justice." The tiki dolls muttered and nodded in unison.

Laxus gave a wry smile. "I guess that the Master doesn't see it that way." He shrugged simply, not altogether worried.

"But… what will we do without you Laxus! We can't be the Thunder Legion when you're around!" Evergreen protested and was the most vocal of the three currently standing in the Park.

"Indeed, we did nothing to stop you, so we should have been banished as well." Freed joined, though what was holding back was the words that Rex had said to him in the end of their fight during the Battle of Fairy Tail.

Laxus shook his head, though he certainly appreciated the gesture. "You all know that isn't true. The three of you are more attached to this Guild than I will ever be right now." He pointed out.

Bickslow was grasping at straws right now. "We can still stop you from leaving, all we gotta do is convince the Master to change his mind!" He persisted, just as much as Evergreen continued.

"And don't forget Rex Vermend, he'll side with you now!" Evergreen added, though it did just as much as hoping for everlasting Christmas.

They all heard a sigh come from Laxus. "You really are going aren't you?" Freed asked, and that question pierced what little hope the other two members of the Thunder Legion had left.

Laxus nodded before turning away with the few belongings he was carrying with him. "You three can all still work as the Thunder Legion, so it's not going to be as bad as you think. Take care of yourself." He added and it was only then that Evergreen and Bickslow finally relented. As he started walking away towards his next destination both Freed and Evergreen began shedding tears, and Bickslow was sad enough not to make fun of them as they watched their group leader begin his next journey.

From above the rooftops, Rex was watching the whole scenario take place. He didn't say anything as he watched the Thunder Legion hopelessly trying to get him to stay in Fairy Tail and upon seeing him walking away from the group and more importantly seeing Bickslow, Evergreen and finally Freed leaving jumped off of it and down next to him.

"How long were you watching me for?" Was the first thing the Guardian of the Plates asked.

"I didn't want to tell them so let's just say for a while." Laxus replied calmly.

"I heard about what Makarov told you. Guess I have to say sorry for stopping you." Rex admitted.

Laxus shook his head. "Don't be, the old man did what he had to do. If I were in his place I'd probably do the same thing." He admitted and there was a brief silence.

A mischievous grin then crept up Rex's face. "I doubt the Thunder Legion is over at all, in fact I'd say this is the beginning of a new way of doing things for them. However there is one thing that did come to my attention, and it's to do with a new opening for someone to head up the Thunder Legion." Laxus raised an eyebrow in amusement at the implication. "It might not be such a bad idea having three servants." Rex joked before laughing.

"Don't encourage them." Laxus replied with a smile on his face before it became a lot more sombre. "Guess this is goodbye for now Vermend." He admitted before he started walking again out of Magnolia Town.

* * *

**2 days later, Magnolia Town**

The Fantasia Parade was on and fireworks lit up Magnolia Town like a beacon from space, and if a Deoxys or a Rayquaza ever visited the place at this time they would probably fly down to get a closer look at all the colours that decorated Magnolia Town. Every second it seemed that some form of firework was going whether it was the large one that let out a powerful boom or the ones that fizzed away in the end with a high pitched screech and sparking off in nothing short of a rainbow of colours there was no end to the festivities during the Harvest Festival and Rex had only seen this kinds of crowds at events like the Grand Festival or during the end of the League Tournaments when a challenger was taking on the Elite Four, or it was down to the final four. The people gathering there along with (almost) all of the Mages in the Guild present and there was all sorts of people that had fully or partially dressed up to celebrate the Fantasia Parade along with the Guild, including Happy costumes and small action figures of the Guild members courtesy of Max Alors. As it turns out they were a big money spinner and he even managed to get one of Gardevoir that could switch between her Mega Forme and backwards with some help from Reedus.

Flying around the Town, and trying to avoid the fireworks that went close to him, Rex could see that the streets where the people could watch the Parade taking places were nothing short of crowded and aside from the many faces that he didn't recognize he picked out a few, including some that surprised him. Among the crowd he could spot Kageyama and Karacka from Eisenwald, Boze and Sue from Phantom Lord and was glad to see Shô, Millianna and Wally all watching the parade as well though the latter group made his heart pang from the disappointment that Simon was not there. Remembering that it was only ten minutes until the Parade began he grinned and headed back towards the area where the floats were going to start. "Spoilers, readers."

The first of the floats to come was the one made by Lucy, Levy and Bisca. They were all wearing long white gloves that came up to their elbows and with it a red dress held together by a large pink bow and a short white skirt. They also all wore long white tights and red shoes, and in their both hands they carried one red and white flag. All three of them were dancing and waving their flags in time.

The float itself was based off of the Miss Fairy Tail Contest and it was a plain white stage with a red ribbon coming down the side and a thin pink ribbon going across that as well. White semicircle fins outlined in green poked up above the float. Behind them was a large fairy like wand comprised of three major parts. Outside were large bright glowing wings and a light blue outline that connected to the bottom shaped which was a pink red star that had a purple outline and lights placed in regular intervals on it and the top point was where the heart shaped object rest and it also had a purple outline with lights though the inside of it was a pink hexagon pattern. A feature of the float was that there was a half sun shining with three rays going out either side and another one trailing up until it hit a large blue hemisphere in the center of the heart. On top of the heart was large round red shining crown that housed a smaller one on top of it.

Behind them was the float worked on by Cana, Wakaba and Macao. Fairy Tail's heaviest drinker wore a simple outfit that made her look like an angel and she displayed her cards in the air which all shone with her. Wakaba had a green shirt, brown shorts and wore a yellow cape and showed off his Smoke Magic by blowing through the pipe and creating a spirit of sort that waved to the crowd. Macao looked like a jester and similar to Bickslow in some ways and used his Purple Fire magic to create a circle with a dark blue spiral in it.

Their float was a simple wheel float with three pillars on it that were pink at the bottom, black for the top third and then it ended with a blue sphere on a light platform and the pillars were connected to wings that were the same shade of blue as the orb. Behind them stood a smaller platform that rose up a bit and displayed two large Fairy Tail Guild Marks that were a light blue and slowly spinning around for everyone to see.

Next up was a float worked on by Alzack, Max, Jet and Droy. The former two wore the same outfits as they hand done throughout the Battle of Fairy Tail, with Max swirling the sand in the space above him and Alzack shooting fireworks up in the sky with his Guns Magic and the crowd gasped as one of them lit up in the air with a large BANG! and in purple as well. Jet wore a blue and pink caterpillar costume with pink legs and was lying down to help him. Droy wore a pumpkin covering the lower half of his body whilst the the upper of half of it was covered in clovers and his legs were covered on large bushy leaves and a flower rested on top of his head where his hair curled.

The following float was that of Mirajane and Elfman, and the former used his Take Over Beast Soul to make himself appear larger and let out a loud roar and spread his arms wide and the crowd cheered him on a lot, none of them were scared by it. Elfman stood behind golden bars made of iron that had been bent and behind him stood a tower that was only slightly taller than him with a beautiful pink flower on it, held in place by transparent yellow leaves. The pink flower then bloomed to reveal Mirajane who stood up as if on cue and then transformed in a large pink gecko.

Gray and Juvia were up next in what was possibly the largest of the floats. The pair of them stood on a round blue and white bowl that featured the Guild Mark in the front of it and Juvia used her Water to create several spouts that arced over the pair of them, who were dressed like a king and queen living there. Behind them was a massive castle made of ice and it was glittering from all the light refracting in the water and the ice. The main tower at the back was the tallest one and to the sides stood three other towers, with the final towers being wider and taller than the middle one. Another thing interesting was that it was entirely symmetrical.

Juvia wore a light blue tiara on her head with a round dark blue jewel that was shining and her outfit was dark blue with a yellow braid pattern on it for the top half and the bottom half being a lighter blue that covered her legs. Gray himself wore a blue shirt with three pairs of arches on it beneath lighter blue sleeveless shirt. The shirts sleeves were turquoise with thin black lines going vertically down it to the elbow, and behind him was a flowing dark blue cape.

Next came Erza's float which was a lot simpler in design, looking like a stage with a round green and blue carpet and purple curtains hanging down that also featured a number of assorted shapes including stars and hearts. This was all to a sky blue backdrop that also featured an overview of Magnolia Town itself. For her outfit she had tied her red hair into two trails much like that when she was using her Flame Empress Armour and wore a white bra with a red outline in a spiked pattern. Her dress was a more revealing one than Juvia's and was held together by small golden ribbon with a round red jewel in the middle and she danced with a sword held in each hand as well as a ring of swords surrounding her in the air.

Nab, Vijeeter, Reedus, Warren and Laki's Float was one of a rock like structure with them dancing on it and Laki was riding on a horse created out of her Wood Make Magic. This was followed by Natsu and Happy's float that was entirely made out of fire but it was spelling various words including FAIRY TAIL in the air and people closer to it took several steps backwards as they didn't want to take a risk and end up being burned. It was pulled along by several creatures that looked to Rex like a cross between a Swinub and a Shroomish though completely different colours.

Speaking of Rex, his float was next and to say it was impressive was an understatement and to many it was the best of the whole parade. Despite having only mostly recovered from his injuries the day before the Fantasia Parade it certainly didn't stop him from putting all the effort he had into making this float. The inside was lowered and visible to those who saw it. The outer ring was made up of a ring of small neat bushes with flowers on them, and each bush had a different colour that went in a rainbow pattern to those who watched from the rooftops.

In the center of it was large golden hemisphere and in between the hemisphere and the bushes were six golden rings that rose up from the ground and was currently all level with each and then the crowd all watched as the five inner rings rose up from the ground each an inch higher from the previous one. Once they finished, the hemisphere came up next and smoke hissed from it as they saw it open to reveal Rex Vermend and he was using Flash, dressed up in a similar costume to the one he had seen at the Akane Casino albeit in his signature red, white, gold and green colours. "And that's only half the surprise!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.

Naturally the float behind him featured all of his Pokemon on a round stage, larger than his one and they were all in a ring, and it was the centerpiece that really sealed it. Standing triumphantly behind the six Pokemon was a 1:1 replica model of the Anistar City Sundial, currently glowing the pink colour it normally did and with the Fairy Tail mark engraved on it in gold. It slowly rotated independently as it was on a separate float connected to the one with the pokemon on it. Gallade was doing some mock sparring with Greninja who was using Night Slash whilst Gallade extended his arms and parried it with ease. Braviary flew up and around the replica Sundial and lit himself up by using a weaker form of Heat Wave and then landed on the top of it and let out two waves of fire shaped like wings and then flew back down again. Gardevoir was spinning gracefully and showed off a basic Moonblast, holding the orb in its place before sending it up and it unleashed a wave of pink energy high in the air in the form of circle. Garchomp used Fire Blast in the sky and Aggron showed off his body and roared.

Then Rex used his own psychic power to change the colour of the Sundial from pink to white and the crowd gasped in shock, after that the Sundial became a bright yellow (not that it interfered with the gold on it), and then a light blue colour, lime green, orange, bright pink again and then he began cycling through an assortment of different colours, changing it every ten seconds to the astonishment and delight of the crowd, who were cheering and silent in equal measure.

Makarov was the last float from the Guild and before the Parade began he was talking to Gajeel. For the Fantasia Parade, he was wearing a goofy outfit that consisted of a red cat hat with a pink paw on the front and the shirt was yellow with a line of green dot and pink and purple striped sleeves. "So you're not going to participate in the Fantasia Parade?" He asked.

Gajeel snorted. "D'you think I really care for something petty like that?" He answered back and Makarov let out a chuckle.

"As much as I want to, I can't deal with a crowd like that at all." Locke added and walked next to Gajeel before sitting down as well.

"Okay, miss out on all the fun then." Makarov shrugged off, not wanting to pry any further and then spoke in a more serious tone. "By the way Gajeel, I would like to thank you for going to infiltrate Raven Tail and find out what Ivan is up to."

Gajeel grinned as he turned to face Makarov. "Yeah, it's really fun being a double agent who is pretending to be a double agent for him. Did you also hear that he also wants to enlist him as well?" Gajeel added nodding at Locke who felt nervous faced with the prospect of possibly becoming a double agent.

"I haven't said yes yet Gajeel, I'm just thinking about it." Locke pointed out, emphasising on the thinking part of it and the black haired male grunted in reply.

Makarov nodded. "Take your time in reply, though I think it would be best if you join Gajeel as well." He shared his opinion before hearing someone called out to him. "That's my cue, let's talk about this whole thing later!" He grinned before running to his float and he began to dance goofily like his outfit, and that earned Makarov a lot of comments from the crowd. The Master's float was an intricately designed platform and behind him stood a statue of rather large angel behind him.

Laxus watched from the sides, not in the crowds and smiled at his grandfather's dancing and then turned around to start going as he remembered something that he had once said a long time ago.

"_Hey gramps aren't you going to come and watch it with me this year?" An excited Laxus asked him eagerly._

"_The Fantasia Parade?" Makarov asked a bit more directly before admitting something. "I'll be viewing it from my seat this year Laxus."_

_Laxus stopped and looked on in confusion. "But how will I know where to find you?"_

"_Don't worry about me my boy, I'll be fine." The Master of Fairy Tail assured him._

_Laxus then did a signal by raising his right arm and extending his index finger and his thumb as high as he could. "Ok then, I'll do this during the parade!"_

"_What is that for?" Makarov asked curiously._

"_It's a sign! It means that even though I may not be able to see you I will be watching over you!" Was the enthusiastic reply._

_Makarov didn't know what to say for a moment before he began shaking from pride and then his eyes widened a lot as they filled up with tears of joy. "Laxus… that is the most heartwarming thing I've ever heard you say!" He sobbed out and Laxus was facing him with a grin on his face._

Laxus let out a slight chuckle before turning back and then he heard the cheers arising from the crowd and then gasped as he saw what was happening. The Master along with everyone else in the Fantasia parade was doing the signal he promised to do for him many years ago and that moved Laxus to tears as well, knowing that they were there to watch over him despite not being a member of the Guild.

Everyone was doing it, Rex, Erza, Natsu even Rex's pokemon were doing as best as he could, with Greninja, Gardevoir and Aggron being the most successful of the six. Braviary raised a wing, whilst Gallade pointed one of his hands high up in the air and Garchomp did the same with one of her fins. "Gramps, everyone…" Laxus sobbed as he turned away and remembered the times he did participate in it.

It was to be a week later before everyone else heard about Laxus being banished from the Fairy Tail Guild and perhaps predictably few people were taking it well, not least of which the main complaints were coming from Natsu. "WHADDAYA MEAN BANISHED?" He roared. "CAN'T YOU BRING HIM BACK OR SOMETHING?" He demanded. Makarov was sitting firmly on the bar and had a stern look on his face.

"Cool down Natsu, it's the Master's decision." Rex advised him with a look of concern on his face, mainly for Natsu's sake. "You can't make him change his mind about that."

"THAT'S WHAT YOU THINK!" He shouted and for his persistent he got a punch both from Erza and Rex at the same time on the head and fell to the floor instantly, unconscious.

"Don't think I've ever seen that before." Gray noted with a look of surprise as he stood in between Juvia and Lucy. "Usually he'd fall slowly but this is a first, even for that idiot."

"It was also a big surprise to see that Laxus is also a Dragon Slayer." Happy pointed out and he changed the subject for the benefit of everyone else, including Natsu.

Makarov then interrupted them. "No, not a Dragon Slayer. At least in the sense that he was raised by a dragon." He stated before explaining to the whole Guild what happened. It came as a complete surprise to hear that Laxus was a sickly child and completely different to the one that used to go to the Guild Hall and his father Ivan used a Dragon Lacrima on him and as a result his own strength improved dramatically.

Not long after that, everyone found the Master with his things packed up in a bag and that he was trying to resign. But with a combination of persuasion from both Rex and Freed who had cut his hair dramatically so that it was very short and that it also spiked upwards to show that he had changed, Makarov eventually decided to stay as the current Guild Master of Fairy Tail.

As for the Thunder Legion they began to open up more towards the regular members of the Guild, with sitting at the bar in a conversation with Mirajane. "Of course I can do poses for you, but I will not do anything naked okay? And make sure that you get my good side, right?" Evergreen stated to Reedus.

The large painter of Fairy Tail had a canvas in one hand and a paintbrush in the other and was nodding at Evergreen's stipulations. "Oui." He said weakly and the few people looking on sweatdropped as they saw her practically throwing herself into it.

"So I hear that you and Loke are going out is that true?" Bickslow grinned as he teased Lucy, with Happy on his shoulder.

"Romance, romance." His babies chanted.

Happy had to cover his mouth to stop himself from breaking out with laughter. "They're in loooove!" He teased as well.

Lucy groaned and shook her head. "Of course, things are still just as weird as they usually are." She remarked and was shaking her head and they all had heard that the winners of the Miss Fairy Tail Contest would be announced tomorrow and the female participants were a bit more nervous than usual, especially after the initial Contest had been rudely interrupted by Laxus and the Thunder Legion.

Something that most people noted were that Rex and Erza were thinking about something but only a select few people knew what it was beside them, those being Locke and Makarov. It was because of Mystogan's identical resemblance to Jellal and the pair of them were puzzling it over how it was possible. _Mystogan said that he knew of Jellal, but they can't be the same person because I had met him before meeting Jellal, so what is their relation then if they are? _Rex pondered and eventually decided to take his mind off of it and walked up to Lucy. "Is it okay if I walk home with you tonight Lucy? Because I need to take my mind off of something?" He asked.

Lucy was surprised at this and then fumbled for an answer. "Uh… I suppose, if you want to." She spluttered and Rex nodded before heading to the bar and sitting down next to Freed in silence and ordering a cup of his usual coffee. _What's got into him? _She thought.

"Don't tell me you and Rex are going to cheat on Erza." Happy said out loud before running out of the Hall as quickly as possible though was beaten to the punch by Rex who was there in an instant and grabbed Happy by the tail.

Everyone watched as he walked back calmly into the room and Happy tried his best to fly away, though was foiled by Rex changing his ability to Heavy Metal and Happy had to try and lift two of him (thought the cat was unaware of it naturally). "Happy, I can take you teasing Lucy about not having a boyfriend or whatever it may be… but don't drag the two of us into this okay? Especially now that we may as well be considered in a relationship." Rex began lecturing and then stopped when he realised what he had just said.

There was a silence in the room and then Mirajane began clapping. "Congratulations!" She cried out and then everyone began cheering and clapping for Rex and Erza, with the former burying his hands in his head upon realising that he had done something stupid again.

Erza walked over and he saw her smiling and blushing out of being slightly embarrassed as well. "It's good to see that you consider us together as a couple." She said quietly and they both exchanged a brief kiss.

"I hope you take notes Lucy for when you find a boyfriend." Happy added, sneaking in one more dig.

"First Aquarius and now you too?" Lucy groaned again and then shook her head in frustration and then went over to the Request Board to try and look for a job to do that was much safer, seeing as her rent was coming up, and unfortunately for her there were very few safe jobs that actually payed out 70,000 or more Jewel so she really was pinning it all on winning the Miss Fairy Tail Contest.

Later that day, after the Sun had set and Rex had drunk no less than three cups of his usual coffee he accompanied Lucy onto their journey to her home and Rex decided to tell her about what had happened at Kardia Cathedral and like he predicted, Lucy failed to hide her shock. "His face was identical to Jellal?!" Lucy cried out. Plue was carried in her arms and there was a look of shock on his face too and he was shaking, though that was something he did all the time anyway.

"Not too loud Lucy." Rex implored and she covered her mouth with one hand, still trying to speak. "Okay, try and speak a little more quietly. But the point it, I guess he may have looked like Jellal, but at the same time he acted nothing like him. I asked Master when I could and he confessed that he didn't know much either. So I'm afraid nothing can be done until I know more. Keep that a secret from her okay?" He asked her and Lucy nodded. It was then that Rex felt the feeling that he was being followed and didn't look behind him as he spoke.

"I know you're there. Stay where you are and don't do anything, understand?" Rex asked, switching his tone to an icy one all of a sudden and the pair of them turned around with Lucy making a pose that suggested she was ready to attack.

Behind them was a large person in a cloak that hid their face, and was carrying what looked like a duffel bag of sorts tied up with a single piece of string. Upon seeing Lucy, the person let out a choked cry of surprise and hope. "Lucy… It's me." He said and Lucy looked on in surprise as they both saw that under the hood was Jude Heartfilia and had grown a beard since Lucy had seen, though it looked a bit scruffy.

"Dad?" Lucy asked with some confusion. "What… happened?"

Jude sighed and didn't look all too happy. "Since you last saw me I've lost all of my wealth and as a result I had to sell off everything I owned, now I'm a traveling vagabond." He admitted and saw an unreadable look on the face of the white haired man, who wasn't sure whether to laugh or to get angry at him.

Lucy then clenched her fists. "What about mother's grave?" She asked, and then listened as Jude whispered it into her ear, though she didn't move from her spot. "Okay, so what else are you here for?" She demanded in an impatient tone.

Jude looked desperate and Rex silently wondered whether or not that Lucy was willing to even listen to him after all that had happened. "First, I wanted to see you again. The other reason is that I'm going to try and start over again and I need a bit of money to get to Acalypha Town, 100,000 Jewel because I'm working at Love &amp; Lucky." He answered her and Rex just looked at him with an expression that said 'Are you serious?' and didn't hide a scowl of disapproval.

Lucy shook her head. "I don't have that kind of money." She pointed out with a stern look on her face.

Jude looked at her in bewilderment. "I need that money right now Lucy!" He shouted and took a step forwards, only to see the male standing next to her flare fire as a warning, and Jude decided not to take a chance.

"Don't you remember what had happened after Phantom Lord?" Lucy shouted in a stinging tone and Jude bit his lip as she carried on. "When I went back to your place, I told you that I am not longer a part of that and that I have nothing to do with it. I already told you that I am Lucy of Fairy Tail!" She scolded and Jude could see that he was defeated and then put his hood up as he began walking away from the pair of them.

They continued to walk in silence along the pathway until they got to Lucy's home and it was inside that someone began to speak up. "Are you still mad at him?" Rex asked and waited for Lucy to attack him.

Lucy considered her answer for a moment before letting out a calmer sigh. "I don't really know at this point. My father may have hired Phantom Lord to get me back, but Jose was planning on using me to get more money from him. I guess in a way I shouldn't though." She admitted and then didn't.

"If you don't know then don't be." Rex advised her, looking directly at her as he did so and Lucy kept quiet as he spoke. "If you continue to be angry with him you'll come to regret it later. He deserves a second chance Lucy."

_It's incredible to see him act so mature at a time like this and yet act slightly immature around his coffee. _Lucy thought with surprise and then considered it, even with what she had said and then nodded. "Okay, I won't be angry at him from now on." She said firmly.

Rex grinned at her and then proceeded to get something off his chest. "What I want to talk to you about specifically is that I'm thinking about asking out Erza on a date tomorrow but I'm nervous since I haven't really been on a date before." He confessed with a wry smile and Lucy looked at him in shock.

"What's a date? It sounds tasty!" The sound of Natsu's voice came out of nowhere and both of them jumped up in shock, seeing the grin on his face. Next to him in the air was Happy and he was covering his paws with both of his hands covering his mouth to stop himself from laughing out loud.

"Not you two!" Lucy cried out before attacking them both several times and they ended up with several lumps on their heads. "Can't you break in and enter his home for once?" She asked angrily and pointed towards Rex.

Natsu blinked at her as if she said something odd. "But you left the door open Lucy so I walked in with Happy." He explained and pointed to the hallway. They both went in to see that Natsu was right for once and that this 'breaking and entering' was Lucy's fault and she let out a loud groan before closing it and ushering everyone into the living room.

Everyone was waiting for Lucy who went upstairs and got a few of her Sorcerer Weekly magazines in her hand, and then returned with a small slip of paper in each of these before turning back to Natsu. "A date is not something you eat, at least not what Rex means. To him, he means spending an evening with Erza alone and going out somewhere in town for the night, because they're together." She explained pointedly as Rex looked at the first magazine on the pile which had an article about popular places to go to in Magnolia Town, which was all about the restaurants.

"Sounds boring." Natsu said, after thinking about it.

"Well it's boring to you because all you do is want to fight and eat all day." Lucy pointed out and Natsu felt wounded by that. "Don't look at me like that, it's true!" She stated exasperated by the sad looks on the face of the two of them. Meanwhile, Rex was quietly taking in the details of some of them and making potential notes about which ones he might go to with Erza.

"Yeah but you don't have to say it like that." Natsu whined, and Happy nodded in agreement. Rex then moved on to the next magazine which featured some of the more high end shops within Magnolia Town were and Rex spotted a few that they could go to. "Whatcha reading there?" He asked and rudely pulled the magazine away from.

"Natsu, can you please give them back, I need to focus when I'm reading here big time." Rex responded, annoyed. He didn't bother waiting for an answer and gave a quick Karate Chop to the head, much like he did with Greninja sometimes and took it back to resume reading. "Flaming idiot."

Lucy looked at Happy who had focused his looks onto Rex. Grabbing him by the tail she quickly drew him out and then up the staircase with a serious look on her face that could easily rival that of Erza's. "Listen. I don't know what you're planning mister, but if you eavesdrop on their time together and I find out in any way…" She began and then trailed off to let the fear take over Happy whose fur was twitching in fright.

"Aye." He squeaked out.

"Good." Lucy finished firmly and he realised that it was probably a better idea not to get into the way of their own time and flew down whilst Rex was now looking at an article that featured advice on what to do when dating, though he ignored half of it as it didn't really apply to him yet. "Finished already?" She asked.

"Yep, thank you for the magazines Lucy." Rex nodded once and handed them back over towards her with Psychic and Lucy looked at him and thought of some of the benefits of using Telekinesis Magic before she went up again to put the magazines away and saw that Rex had gone out of the door when she came down. Unfortunately that also left her alone with Natsu and Happy, and Lucy began talking to them about a job that the pair wanted to go with her on.

The following day in the Guild Hall, everyone could see the results of the Miss Fairy Tail contest being pinned up on a sheet of paper in large and bold writing. Rex was one of the first people to come into the Guild as he had decided to wake up extra early to see the results and grinned as he read it out to himself. It read out that Erza Scarlet was in first, Lucy came in second and Juvia Lockser was in third place. _I knew it, of course she'd win, it's because she's Erza. _Rex thought rather happily and slid down the bannister, nearly hitting Cana in the landing process.

"It looks like someone is in a happier mood today!" Mirajane chuckled as she began making what was quickly becoming his signature coffee and didn't rush it, seeing as the people began to steadily go in the Guild, including Erza.

"Right, though I won't say why." Rex replied out loud though he gave a small nod to Erza as she passed him and got a smile in return as she came up with Lucy. "3… 2… 1…" He counted down.

"What?!" Lucy cried out upon reading the results and from below there was laugh from both Mirajane and Rex. "I came in second? Now how I am going to pay for my rent?" She cried and imagined her rent money in an envelope flying away from her and then began walking back down.

"So you knew?" Erza asked Rex as she stood next to him.

"Of course I knew, the countdown was just for fun." Rex grinned and it was his usual grin that was on whenever he was feeling happy and then looked over towards a desolate Lucy. "Though she doesn't seem to be too happy about it."

"Aye?" Happy asked, having heard his name and turning around to face them.

Rex was surprised for a moment and then looked over at Lucy. "You might wanna go and try to help Lucy out a bit Happy as she's down in the dumps." He pointed out and then both he and Natsu walked over and began talking about a job that would certainly pay for at least one week's rent, all whilst Rex was drinking his coffee and Erza decided to go to upstairs and look for a job to do with him.

It wasn't long before the Guild Hall reached its usual volume and most of the discussion was currently about the Miss Fairy Tail Contest though there was particular branch that made Lucy concerned all of a sudden. "Hey did you hear about what was happening over there?" An unnamed member of the Guild said to another.

"Yeah, I heard that a small time Dark Guild called Naked Mummy were going to attack someplace in Acalypha." Another one of them answered.

Lucy ran over to there and slammed her hands on the table and then made a few scary demands. "What is the name of the place in Acalypha Town?" She asked rather scarily and the few people sitting down jumped suddenly.

"I… think it's called Love &amp; Lucky. There's a job request for it." The first person said out of shock.

"Change of plans, Natsu. I'm going to Acalypha Town right this instant!" Lucy cried out and she rushed up to grab the job and then ran out as quickly as possible past the duo who closed their eyes as she did so and then they opened their eyes, taking in what had happened. Rex realised what that meant and then turned back to the bar, knowing that Lucy could probably handle it.

"...Talk about rude." Natsu grumbled and then began walking out of the Guild Hall slowly with Happy flying out ahead of him.

"How can you say that when you break into her house on a regular basis?" Gray interjected loudly.

"At least put some clothes on Gray when you complain!" Natsu retorted loudly and began running straight back in the Guild. Gray was in the midst of looking for his clothes when a flaming fist nailed him in the head and was sent crashing into the table next to him.

There was a sigh from the bar as Rex stood upwards and walked slowly over to the pair of them as soon as he heard Gray shouting at Natsu in anticipating a fight about to break out and stood over them. "You two are not going to start fighting are you? Because that is not needed right now, so please make up." He requested in a chilling tone.

Both Natsu and Gray jumped up and began hugging each other out of fear. "No, don't worry about it we're good friends right?! They shouted at the same time, with Gray managing to put his clothes on… somehow.

Whilst that was going on at the same time Erza motioned for Mirajane to come with her to talk upstairs and signalled to Rex as he walked back towards his seat and then took his mug of coffee upstairs and was determined to do it now otherwise he might not get another opportunity. "Finally, it's nice to get upstairs once in a while and get away from all the noise." Erza admitted and looked back down.

"I guess, but there are fewer people up here." Rex noted, pointing at Locke who gave him a slight scowl before turning back to face Erza and Mirajane. Taking in a deep breath and bracing himself he looked at the scarlet haired Mage. "I was wondering Erza… if you would go on a date with me tonight?" He asked in a quiet voice and felt his whole body weakening as he did so.

The effect it had on Erza could be seen almost instantaneously and it was electrifying in a way as began blushing until her whole face went red and she had to place a hand on the table in front of her to stop her falling over. Mirajane was shocked and then she began to giggle at Erza's reaction to it. "W-what time?" She managed to say.

"At seven tonight, meet me at my place." Rex told her and felt his heart beating faster as he began talking. "Nothing extravagant, but please no armour." He added and then Teleported out of the Guild unexpectedly and fell face first onto the ground, creating a small crater. Not that it mattered though as he got up and began running towards his home with excitement.

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**And that is a wrap folks, I wanna get around the 12k mark per chapter and I think I did okay. If anyone was expecting the fight to last longer then I apologise in advance. How did you like the Fantasia bit with Rex and the others? Comments and anything else etc. leave in reviews.**

**Next Time on Guardian Fairy - The First Date**


	26. The First Date (BoFT Finale)

**Lyndis, it doesn't work like that. Manectric cannot naturally have the Ability Volt Absorb, and it can be done with other moves, not that I'm going to go into it as well. So yeah this may not be the entire chapter, but half at the minimum should cut it, right?**

**Previously on Guardian Fairy -**

**Rex: **Whatever Reshiram did to me must have worked Father, because I defeat Laxus rather easily with help from Garchomp and I landed the finishing blow in Fairy Tail fashion! After that I had to get a lot of bandages and Laxus returned to Guild to find out he had been banished from it, and only him. A few days later the Fantasia Parade came and it was spectacular. Take the Grand Festival but increase the atmosphere by eleven and you pretty much have it! After accidentally announcing Erza as my girlfriend I helped Lucy walk home only to run into her bankrupt father who asked for help! She told him to get lost and then allowed me to read several of her Sorcerer Weekly magazines and the next day I asked Erza out on a date for tonight.

* * *

**Chapter 26 - The First Date**

Upon teleporting outside, Rex landed face first into the ground and left a small crater though he wasn't bothered in the slightest as he began running quickly back towards his house and weaved his way through the crowd who were startled to see someone rushing past time. Rex then began flying through the air as he switched to the Sky Plate and flew several feet above the head of everyone and then landed outside his house though he could still feel the ecstasy.

Rex banged the door open and Greninja jumped in shock and Gardevoir looked in from her bedroom and they both had a look of confusion on their faces. "So what's gotten into you Rex? You seem way too happy today." Greninja asked.

Then the Ninja Pokemon received a Karate Chop to the head and landed on the floor with a loud bang and the other Pokemon came in shortly afterwards to see the source of the noise. "Idiot!" Rex shouted.

"So what is the cause for celebration Senpai?" Gallade asked and behind him stood Aggron and Garchomp, whilst Braviary flew in from outside, narrowly missing the windows. The human like pokemon had both his blades retracted.

"Tonight is a special night for me, because I'm going on a date with Erza! What's more, I know exactly what I'm doing too! Right now I'm in complete ecstasy over the fact that I actually got the courage to ask her out!" Rex shouted loudly and began dancing around the room out of joy, and Gardevoir shook her head to clear a headache from the surge of happiness coming from work.

"Could you please calm down Rex, that sudden outburst of emotion gave me a headache." Gardevoir requested and used Psychic to pick up the thing she had dropped in her hands. "Anyway if you want to get ready then start by taking a shower, you stink!" She requested in a way much like Erza and then pointed to the bathroom.

Rex knew better than to argue with her as well and knew she was also right and then he got into the bathroom and undressed himself and started having a shower to make himself look a lot more presentable. It took him about ten minutes and when he came out there was a much more pleasant scent coming from him, something that smelled faintly like apples, as he had gotten a shampoo from the shopping district in Magnolia Town.

"Much better. Now what's next in preparation?" He mused and then gave several moments to think about the clothes he was going to wear and decided to settle on what he normally wear. _Now then, I heard that the place was pretty popular, so it's probably a good idea to get a reservation beforehand. _Rex surmised and then walked out of his house again to head for the area just west of the shopping district.

Meanwhile, Erza was still in shock and with the help of Mirajane she went back to Fairy Hills and the few females that followed her to see what the shock was all about. "So why exactly is Erza acting like she doesn't know what she's going to do?" Levy asked curiously and they had all gathered in the Fairy Queen's room within the place. Also present was Bisca, Evergreen and Laki.

Mirajane let out a chuckle. "Rex asked her out on a date and she accepted. I think she's never been this flustered in her life." She explained and then everyone let out a gasp of shock which was followed by various reactions ranging from shouts of encouragement to some admitting how jealous they were of him.

"I can't believe out of all the people Rex could have chosen from it had to be her, and he's such a sweet and handsome person to boot." Evergreen admitted with jealousy and this earned her a glare from Mirajane.

"Oh wow, this is a good thing for sure, congratulations!" Levy grinned at Erza and went over to shake her hand, though Erza was only paying half as much attention as she was. "Earthland to Erza, can you please focus and get ready?" Levy asked and snapped her figures several times in front of her face.

This made Erza snap out of it and she then jumped up, making everyone else jump up backwards except for Mirajane who just smiled sweetly. "I have to get ready. I don't want to disappoint Rex!" She said out loud and then rushed towards one of her cupboards to reveal a number of different outfits that she couldn't switch into with her Requip Magic and tried them on one at a time in front of a mirror and some of the outfits were rather outrageous and others were just plain wrong for one reason or another.

Mirajane walked up to her slowly. "I think you need to come down to Earthland Erza, first things first you need to relax." She pointed out and then Erza stopped for a moment and then calmed down enough to look at Mirajane.

"So what should I do, please help me!" Erza requested in an almost desperate tone.

Mirajane smiled again and the sight of it made Erza calm down a lot more. "The first thing to do is act naturally Erza, and show your feelings. Rex wouldn't be too disappointed if you were because he would want to please you. Secondly, don't be afraid to make a suggestion to him as to where you should go next, because then it would seem like you're being too nervous." She started explaining and Erza listened to her as she did so, thinking about the way that both of them would want it to go and that it was only to be as normal as possible.

"Okay, but what should I wear?" Erza asked and began nodding.

There were several suggestions from the other people though everyone began talking at once which made it difficult to hear what exactly they were all suggesting. Though based off of some of them it didn't look like they were good suggestions, especially the outfit that Evergreen suggested. When all the commotion died down it was Mirajane's turn to speak up. "Remember what it was that Rex said at the Guild Hall? Nothing extravagant, but please no armour." She recited out loud and everyone looked on at Erza who began thinking about what to wear.

"So then is this going to be okay then?" Erza asked and she requipped out of her armour and into a white, short sleeved blouse dress that ended at the knees and was tied by a blue bow tie like ribbon. She wore a pair of long white socks with a blue stripe at the top of each sock and that came with her normal black boots.

"That looks perfectly fine Erza!" Mirajane nodded at her and then looked towards the others to see what they would think and Levy nodded in agreement.

Evergreen huffed and looked away from all of them. "If that is what you want to wear than go ahead, he's the one who'll judge it." She scowled, showing her approval in a rather funny way.

"Go for it Erza, but don't let all of that anxiety inside you reveal itself or things may not turn out that great if you do." Laki said, and everyone just looked at her in silence from her complex choice of words. She huffed before leaving to go back to her own room.

Erza then swapped back to her normal Armour and then she and Mirajane began walking out of Fairy Hills with Levy and Mirajane in tow. _This is the first time someone has asked me out… I don't know what I could do to stop things from going badly. _She thought nervously and then Mirajane placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, making the red haired Mage smile as he understood what the Satan Soul user was saying to her without the use of words.

As the day went by, neither Rex nor Erza saw much of each other as they had both put plans in place to deal with situation and what gave each other hope was the fact that if things went well for both of them then the possibility of future evenings out looked even more likely. It was probably for the better as they would speak to each other rather forcibly and that things would only get worse for the both. By the time the evening rolled over Erza had decided to Requip into her chosen outfit from the Fairy Hills and then began walking 10 minutes prior to the time that he had set and walking towards his home and then looked into the water flowing through one of the canals. _I look good, don't I? I don't know if Rex will say that or not though. _She thought and then smiled to herself.

Several minutes prior to 7PM exactly, Rex changed into his outfit and took off his own jacket and substituted his green shirt for a plain white one with several golden marks on the shirt. That was all of the changes he really made to himself as he already looked in the mirror and studied himself once more. "Tell me, do I look okay for the night?" Rex asked the Pokemon who were all looking at him.

"Of course you do Rex, now keep your cool and don't freak out. We wouldn't want things to end badly for Erza now do we?" Gardevoir replied soothingly and place a hand on his shoulder.

"Squawk, yeah. Nothing is going to go wrong tonight!" Braviary nodded in agreement and his beak was plastered with a smile.

"Erza-san is just as nervous as you are, that is why I think it will go well." Gallade added and stood against his couch next to Braviary. Garchomp was asleep outside, having taken some time off to finish recovering from taking part in the Battle of Fairy Tail.

All of the Pokemon present along with him heard several knocks on his door and they all knew that it was 7PM so they each nodded at Rex before going back outside as he opened the door to see Erza in a white blouse dress and looking just as nervous as how he felt. "You know I probably said this earlier… but you really should wear your armour less often, because you look beautiful." He said and Erza felt herself blushing again at being called beautiful. "Not to mention that our enemies would cower in fear at our love." Rex joked and Erza chuckled at that.

"So where are we going?" She asked and Rex put a finger to her lips.

"Close your eyes and I'll show you." He grinned, and they both held a hand whilst Rex used the other to make sure Erza kept her balance as they began walking through the streets of Magnolia Town, and he gave out a verbal command occasionally so that she wouldn't bump into anyone and after about ten minutes of walking together Erza heard Rex saying. "Okay, you can open your eyes now."

The restaurant that he had picked only had a single floor from the outside, and it looked like an old styled hotel, with the roof made out of thatch and there were several windows at the front so that people could look into it in case they decided to go on the spot. Even though it looked very much like an old hotel it had a clean and relaxed feeling from it that felt a lot like the Guild Hall to them. Hanging from above the door was a sign of a bird with a wing spread out next to it. The bird itself looked tall with long legs and a long beak as well as a slender graceful body, and there were some words that were painted on the wing - White Heron. This is a chain of restaurants in Fiore that are famous for its relaxed atmosphere and was also popular with couples who wanted a nice quiet evening together.

Looking through the doors they could see people waiting in the area after entering, but Rex smiled inwardly to himself. "I didn't know it was this busy tonight." Erza confessed as they entered the restaurant.

Inside definitely matched up to its reputation. There were mostly tables for two with a blue or a pink candle on it that was shaped like a tulip and they each gave out a warm light for the table only, though there were also tables that fitted four and even up to six people which were all made up of mahogany wood and they all had four legs to keep balance. The seats were lighter and they each had a patterned blue and white cushion on them, though for table that could sit up to six it was more like a row of seats in one. The walls of the restaurant were painted cream until it was about a metre off the ground from which it was just plain wood, and the cream colour made it feel a lot more spacious than it looked from the outside and on the walls were special Lacrima powered lights coming from a yellow daffodil.

The colours themselves never looked as if they clashed with each other and that they stayed within their confined spaces, and it certainly went well with the cream paint and the wood. There were also a couple of paintings on the walls as well with a small plaque underneath with a bit of information underneath them to show who the artist was and how much it was acquired for. Taking a look at the nearest one it read that it was purchased from Reedus Jonah and it showed the outside of the Guild Hall in the sunset. _Wow, I never knew that Reedus was this good. _Rex thought with some surprise.

"So then you like it?" He asked uncertainly.

Erza almost looked shocked at him. "I love this place and I must confess this is my first time here, since I used to eat mainly in the Guild Hall." She admitted and Rex noticed her blushing.

_Tip number 6 - If the person you are going out with is blushing, it's almost always a sign that they like what they see. _Rex thought as he remembered back to what one of the magazines Lucy gave him had said, so he knew that what he was doing was working. So far so good, he kept that inward grin to himself and perked up when Erza turned away.

They went over to see an average height auburn female with her hair tied up and grey eyes. She was wearing a traditional maid outfit that was black with a white apron and looked up at them. "Welcome to the White Heron, do you have a reservation?" She asked politely and nodded once at them.

"Yes we do, for 7:15 booked under the name Rex Vermend I believe." Rex answered. Erza then looked at him in shock, as if expecting to wait a bit.

Holding the book in her hand, she flipped through the reservations made today which were more than normal - possibly it being due to that fact that it was a Friday that day and more people naturally came in tonight and tomorrow night. "It's here under the name -!" She stopped and looked at the two of them in turn before doing a double take at Rex. "You're Rex Vermend, the Guardian Fairy?" She asked with some surprise.

"The one and only." Rex nodded, glad to see that he was being recognized though he wasn't sure if it was a good or a bad thing. Then again he did save Magnolia Town from Jupiter and also from Laxus taking over the Guild.

"And this is Erza Scarlet of course." She added, nodding at the red haired Mage though Erza frowned as if she had sensed some sort of hostility in that tone, but shook it off. "My name is Ashley and I'll be delighted to seat you." Ashley said with eagerness as she grabbed three menus from the podium she was standing at and then they began following her.

Erza began whispering in his ear. "You never told me you reserved a table beforehand."

Rex smiled. "That's because I wanted to surprise you, my queen." He whispered back and felt Erza's hand tightening in his as they all walked over to a table for two that was at the back and it appeared to be quite a way away from most of the other tables.

"This place back here is one of our spots were couples often look to sit. With the two of you also being well known members of Fairy Tail, and you Rex Vermend for saving the town, I could not think of a better spot." Ashley smiled and set a menu at each of their seats whilst standing what was the dessert menu in the middle of two candles and upright. On their table was a candle in a pink tulip and one in a blue tulip half a foot away and the light, although partially blocked by the dessert menu was calm and non intrusive.

Both of them sat down and after about a minute a brown haired waitress came with a notepad. "Good evening, and what would you like to drink tonight?" She asked.

After Rex had nodded at Erza she looked through the menu a bit. "Um, I think I'll just have some water." She decided, and began to relax a bit.

The waitress jotted it down then turned to Rex. "And you?" She asked.

Rex took a careful look at the list of drinks before answering. "I'll have a cup of black coffee." He asked and Erza smiled, having wondered if he would choose something else. "Can we have a few minutes to think about our main meal?" He asked.

"Of course you can." The waitress smiled kindly before leaving the two of them.

Rex decided to lie the dessert menu down and the pink and blue light mixed well together. "Is that better?" he asked Erza and then asked another question after she nodded. "Did you spend all day getting ready for this or were you busy doing other things?" He asked and they were busy looking at each other.

"Well I did spend some time getting ready, and when I got back to the Guild Hall along with Mirajane and the others there was a reporter there from Sorcerer Weekly who wanted to do an interview with various people from the Guild. He seemed disappointed that you weren't there though." Erza added with a smile on her face.

Rex let out a mock sigh of disappointment. "Of course he would. On a more serious note though, if I told him the truth as to how I got Father's Plates I'd probably be in an asylum quicker than you can sing 'Jingle bells.'" He pointed out and felt better that he wasn't in the Guild Hall when Jason had paid the Guild a visit.

Erza carried on explaining how he interviewed the various members in turn and that she was one of the lasts ones, and how another fight broke out in the Guild, with Rex making a note to tell Natsu and Gajeel off since it had allegedly starting over the latter's singing. By the time she had finished the drinks had already arrived and Rex added two teaspoons of sugar to his coffee. "This is good. A nice flavour, and it has a smooth taste." He reviewed the coffee and that make Erza laugh out loud. Rex put on an offended look. "What?" He asked.

"Excuse me, but it's amusing to see how you take that drink so seriously." Erza looked at him and he turned away in mock offense.

It was at that time the waitress returned and gave a slight cough, drawing their attention. "Do you know what you'd like to eat?" She asked and Rex quickly looked at the menu again to remind himself.

"Yes, I'd like a medium steak with a Caesar salad please." Rex asked.

Erza took a moment to decide what she would like. "I'll have the turkey breast with mashed potato, stuffing and green beans."

"Both excellent choices." The waitress said as she jotted them down before walking away to the kitchen area again and the two of them were left alone once more. The restaurant itself had presumably gotten busier, or at least louder than when they first entered.

"I guess it was a good time for us to go here. It looks like everyone is coming in all at once." Rex pointed out as there were fewer empty tables to where they were staying at and he took another sip of his coffee.

"So I wanted to know a few things about you Rex, mainly because I know nothing about the world you come from." Erza began and Rex didn't do anything except nod slightly to say that she was allowed to carry and then asked this next question in a lower voice that allowed them a little more privacy. "What does it mean with you being the Champion of the region you called Unova?" She asked.

Rex then gave a wide grin and launched into an explanation. "Simple. It means that as a Trainer I am the best in Unova." He replied and Erza's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Becoming the Champion is a lot harder than it sounds first thing you have to do is earn 8 Gym Badges by winning against the Gym Leaders of the region, I'll show you the badge case when we get back to my house. Then you have to enter a League Tournament and actually win it just to even get a shot at the Elite Four, who are the strongest behind the Champion."

It was then that Rex paused for a moment. "At first it's usually three on three matches, up until the last 16 where it becomes a full battle, that is to say six on six Pokemon. Another reason it's called a full battle is also because a Trainer can only carry six Pokemon at any one time. Any more and they have to deposit them in a Box at the Pokemon Centers." He explained and pulled out the six Pokeballs that he carried with him, showing her as an example.

"Do you which of your Pokemon go into which of these?" Erza asked, trying to figure out which of his companions came from which ball.

Rex drew them back with a knowing smile on his face. "Don't worry about that. I know exactly which ones go where. Only the Trainer who carries the Pokeball can see a miniature version of them within it. Though right now all of mine our out and probably practising in the back area." He shrugged and then looked out of the window in silence.

Erza took all of them with intrigue and was thinking it over. _It sounds like an interesting place to be then, how far would I go if I was one of those Trainers? _She thought and asked several more of questions about the Pokemon world and Rex answered them gladly and it was during that time in which the main meals arrived and they mostly ate in silence.

"Here." Rex said after eating a mouthful and on his fork was a piece of the steak that he had ordered. "Try it, it's really good and juicy." He left it on her plate and Erza began chewing carefully, not surprised to see that it was like he had described it. She shared him a piece of her turkey and in return gave her a kiss on the cheek and she nearly dropped her cutlery on floor.

It took them a good half an hour to finish their main meal and Rex took a moment to lean back in his seat and let his stomach calm down for a moment. "Ahhh, that was good. We should come here again soon." He muttered out loud in a casual manner and he could see Erza's eyes light up a tiny amount but it was more than enough to convince him that it was a success. From the window the sun was setting and letting in a beautiful orange light that lit up most of her face. "Stop right there. The light is shining perfectly on you Erza." He said in a serious tone, admiring the mixture of red and orange.

Erza blushed as she stayed in that position for a moment and she was seeing the blush on his face. _He's always thinking about me as well. Am I… enjoying this? _She thought to herself and also felt surprise to see that not only was she liking it, but that it was also fun as well for her. To the scarlet haired Mage, it was the first time that she had felt enjoyment out of being alone with someone and almost felt guilty about what seemed like abandoning Jellal.

_Don't think about that. It's all in the past, and it's thanks to Rex that I was finally able to overcome it. _Erza thought with determination and the waitress had come back.

"Will that be all?" She asked as she collected the used plates and cutlery, balancing them impressively on her arm.

"We'll also have dessert please." Rex said politely and the waitress nodded as she moved near the kitchen area and placed the dirty plates on top of a pile of other used plates before returning with her note book in hand. "Nothing for me, thank you." He politely asked and then hid a smile with his hand.

Erza instantly knew what she wanted after looking through the dessert menu. "I'll take a slice of strawberry cheesecake." She requested.

"Absolutely." The waitress replied before walking away from her table and then returned five minutes later with two slices of it on the same plate for Erza. "Here you are, Miss Titania." She said before turning back.

Erza looked in confusion at the two slices of cake on the table and then looked up at Rex. "Both of them are for you, I ordered an extra one using Telepathy." Rex explained and looked on in a satisfied grin when he heard her gasp. Erza began wondering just how romantic he was as she ate her strawberry cheesecake with the cake fork provided and was even more surprised to see that he turned down the option for a slice. But she would get more and he was happy with that, so it was practically a win-win situation for her.

"How was it?" Rex asked with a smile on his face after she had finished it and Erza nodded. "You like it? That's good." He grinned at her and five minutes later was presented with the bill, which came to 64,000 Jewel in total and payed that, also giving the waitress who had served him a tip for the service that she provided the two of them.

When they both went outside the sun had almost set and there was a small piece of orange peeking over the horizon that lit up half the sky whilst the other half was quickly fading to blue and by Rex's own estimates it was around 8PM. They had plenty of time left to carry on with whatever they planned on doing and then they began drifting towards the canals after hiring a boat to share with Rex guiding it through the streets of Magnolia. High up on homes and shops that lined the Town were candle that let out a yellow light that lit up the streets.

"Isn't it nice…" Rex said and huffed as he pushed the paddle again. It had taken him a few attempts to get it right, but Erza didn't really mind that as she sat at the front with him on the back to balance the weight out and they were moving at a slow pace taking in the scenes around them. "The light is warm… *huff* the canals are quiet… *huff* and best of all… *huff* no Natsu." He grinned.

At the Guild Hall, Natsu heard that and let out a protest, much to the confusion of everyone else except Gajeel. Erza chuckled again at that statement and looked around at the places above them and then turned a little too quickly as she saw her favourite cake shop passing back and the boat rocked a little, nearly throwing Rex off the mental count he kept in his head to help him keep control of the boat. "Please don't rock it Erza, I can't swim well!" He protested and then deliberately rocked it a little harder.

Erza clutched the edge of the boat and then glared at him for doing that and gave a wry smile. "So it's going to be that way then?" She asked with a smirk and Rex looked on, confused, until she rocked it harder than the last time sideways for a few moment.

"What did I tell you?!" Rex pointed out, pretending to be angry only to find himself falling backwards into the water and went in head first.

This made Erza stop seriously as she remembered what had happened not too long ago.

Wait, Jellal! I promise… but… I want to know… can I… save… you… _Rex thought and felt himself lying down. He knew in that instant he had hit the floor and smiled and his vision faded to back, with the last thing he saw being a small black speck coming from up near the top._

_From outside, as soon as they saw him getting closer to the water, Juvia began propelling them forwards with her Water Dome and they all looked at Braviary who began fiddling with the belt and then managed to get the first Pokeball out and then handed. "Quickly, let Greninja out, cacaw!" He shouted sharply and Lucy nodded._

_Greninja popped out and then looked at everyone around them. "So what the heck is going on right now? I've heard as much as I possibly can though with all the fighting that had just gone on I couldn't really hear a thing." He began and they looked at him in deadly silence._

_Braviary gave a sigh and tried to control himself. "Look, our Trainer is sinking towards the bottom over there and we need your help to get him back upwards, cacaw! Hurry!" He begged and the Ninja Pokemon understood from the tone of it almost instantly and then the two of the pokemon jumped through the Water Dome, with the Valiant Pokemon leading it didn't take him long to spot where he had landed and began circling it._

_Greninja nodded and then dove downwards and saw deep below, helped by the light from the large explosion to see that his Trainer was in his regular form and lying on the ground, lookin practically unconscious. Summoning all his strength Greninja swam down, circling his arms to power him through the water and then grabbed onto his shoulder and then prepared a Hydro Pump, knowing it was the only thing strong enough to lift both of them up in the air. "Hiyah!" Greninja shouted and unleashed the Hydro Pump in mid air._

_Up top, Braviary was still circling above the location of both Greninja and Rex now and the Water Dome was just outside the circle. "Why have we stopped?" Erza asked desperately, but moving her hurt right now and stayed as still as she could._

"_My guess is we're waiting for them to come out, right Juvia?" Gray asked._

_The blue haired woman blushed for a second. "That is correct. I can tell just by touching the water that the two of them are moving back up at a very fast pace. It shan't be long now." Juvia pointed out and after a tense minute they saw Greninja breaking the surface and lifting Rex above it as best as he could, with water running down the white hair._

That line of thought was suddenly interrupted as a spray of water came up and directly hit Erza in the face. She was wiping the water away as Rex put his head up with his Splash Forme currently engaged. "Hahaha! Got you didn't I?" He asked with a grin and then jumped out of the water and onto the boat, dripping wet and along with paddle that had also become soaked.

Erza had a look of mild surprise on her face and then told him in a serious tone. "Don't do that, you had me genuinely worried there for a moment."

Rex stopped, realising what she had meant and considered it for a second before asking her in a gentle tone. "But I'm alright now and is what counts correct? Though I will try and avoid doing some like that in future I can assure you that I'm perfectly capable of swimming." He added as he pushed Erza's chin up gently with his hand so that she was looking at him.

"Yes, of course. As long as you don't do anything foolish like that again, agreed?" Erza asked in return and Rex sighed, seeing that she would not want it any other way.

"I will try my best." Rex promised and that was good enough for Erza and he began to paddle through the canals of Magnolia Town again and they continued the rest of their little trip in silence, only exchanging a few words between them before they returned it and then began walking through the streets of Magnolia Town, though not before Rex dried himself with Flame Charge. "I'd say it's time to back to my place, we can spend the rest of night there together." He recommended and Erza nodded in agreement.

The two of them walked back together, holding hands and several people looked at them with some shock, mainly because of the fact that it was Erza since they didn't know much about Rex other than what he had done for the Guild since he came here not long ago. There were also a few whispers too though neither one of them were bothered by it and looked upwards at the moon, which was currently in its waning gibbous phase and the could see about three quarters of it. "It's a pretty moon out tonight. The way it looks has some meaning to it wouldn't you say?" Rex asked Erza. "The way it looks like now it symbolises you coming out of your shell to everyone, me most of all." He explained and Erza began blushing again.

"I-I don't know what to say." Erza managed.

"Then don't say anything and let our silence do all the talking." Rex suggested as they continued walking towards his home and past Kardia Cathedral, reaching it about 5 minutes later and then he held the door handle and pushed it gently open. After assuring himself that nothing was wrong and stepped in.

Unfortunately for him he made the incorrect assumption as he was greeted by Greninja shouting "SURPRISE!" As the lights flickered on to reveal Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Levy and several other members of the Guild as well as the rest of his Pokemon all in the house, crowding it a little. Rex even managed to spot Mirajane and Makarov, the latter was holding a mug of beer in his hands.

"What's this for?!" Rex and Erza cried out in shock.

"It's to celebrate your first date with Erza, what else would it be?" Greninja asked, scowling at him as if he didn't know.

This turned out to be a huge mistake for the Ninja Pokemon as Rex grabbed him and began physically banging him on the ground outside. "Rex, wait… I… OW!... stop… please…" Greninja asked between mid smash and felt the world spinning around him for a moment and presumed that he was calling him a number of names including stupid frog and idiot amongst them before throwing him hard on the floor one more time. "Threelittlefletchling… nestinginatree…" Everyone heard him say as he felt the world spin around him once, and then Greninja fell unconscious with the last thing he saw being those three Fletchling.

"First things first… how did you know?" Rex asked, irritated that it was supposed to be a night for them to spend all alone only to find out that this had happened.

At this question, Mirajane looked guiltily at them all. "That would happen to be my fault. Levy and I were discussing it in private and then Natsu came over and began nosing in…" This earned her an annoyed look from him but she carried on. "We tried to avoid it as much as possible until Cana brought up the subject matter rather loudly and then we had to tell eventually. I'm sorry about that." She apologized deeply.

Rex took a moment to calm down before deciding on doing something. _All right Mirajane, I want you and Levy to both close your eyes so that only you know what happened tonight alright? That goes for you too. _He added this to his Pokemon all done through Telepathy, so that only the aforementioned people could also hear it and then used Hypnosis to send them all sleeping, planting the idea to forget about them knowing of the date they went on last night. "Can you please help me get them back to the Guild Hall?" He asked.

"You and Erza should stay here and enjoy the rest of even, we'll go back on our own with all of them." Mirajane interjected and began to take them away with help from Levy, Aggron and Gardevoir who picked up the majority of the people with Psychic and not long passed until both Rex and Erza were left in silence again.

"Better. Now I'm sure they were around here somewhere. Hold on, give me a moment." Rex said out loud as he began looking for something on his shelf and then found a silver black case that was about half a foot wide by 14 inches long and almost an inch deep and then showed it to Erza. "This is the badge case that I had whilst in Unova." Rex stated and opened it, revealing from left to right eight long golden badge with each of them having a different design. "From left to right we have the Basic Badge, Insect Badge, Bolt Badge, Quake Badge, Jet Badge, Toxic Badge, Legend Badge and finally the Wave Badge."

"Do Gym Leaders specialize in a single type then?" Erza guessed.

"Correct, but don't let it fool you. It's a lot harder than you think." Rex warned and Erza looked on curiously and then decided to tell him the story of how he got the Legend Badge from Drayden who was a Dragon Master, surprising Erza at how intense and close the battle against him and was thoroughly impressed at some of the ways he had dealt with the Dragon type. "And it was right after that I ran into Braviary and captured him as a Rufflet. I ran back into Opelucid City afterwards and began preparing him for the Pokemon League Tournament." After this he put the badge case back on the shelf.

"I see. So if I did ever become a Trainer I would certainly have to learn a lot." Erza said out loud and laughed as she saw the shocked look on Rex face. "Though I think I wouldn't become one because I'm happy enough as I am right here." She confessed and they both shared a kiss.

Rex then looked out and then realised something. "Oh Arceus, I can't believe I forgot that!" He cried out in shock and there was a look in his face that made Erza pause for a moment before looking out in a distant fashion.

"Is there something else you wanted to show me?" Erza asked and looked at him.

"Of course I do, and it's going to be something of a surprise. A good one." Rex smiled, though it wasn't as big as his normal one. Despite wanting to ask more Erza decided not to and put her faith in him as he lead her to a mass of graves near Kardia Cathedral and saw that there was a plain round stone head, nothing fancy but it was the words that were more important on it.

SIMON: X7? - X784

A TRUE FRIEND AND GUARDIAN

Erza was stunned into silence when she read this and felt her whole body shaking. Rex had done all of this for her and he gently held her hands and waited for her reaction eventually getting one in the form of tears that started to run down from both of her eyes and then she hugged Rex tightly. "I can't… thank you enough for this!" She cried into his arms and they held their embrace for several minutes, with him running a hand down her beautiful hair and continued to do so for a while.

"It was the least I could do for someone who saved my life." Rex quietly whispered. "I still could have saved him had I known that…" He faltered and looked at Erza's face, wiping away more tears in her eyes. "Come one, we should go back now, because I've got a pretty funny story involving Greninja and the reason I keep calling him an idiot." Rex suggested and then teleported both of the back to their home as Erza had a smile on her face.

* * *

**Spear Pillar - Hall of Origin**

Arceus had summoned Palkia, Dialga and the lake trio to the Hall of Origin a place hidden from the humans atop Spear Pillar unless one used an Azure Flute, but there was practically no chance of that happening since Arceus himself was in possession of the Azure Flute. The five of them were waiting patiently for Arceus to start and Azelf was getting rather impatient. "So what is this about Arceus. You said it was urgent and just as I was about to get back to my Lake in Sinnoh too!" Azelf protested.

"Now, now you shouldn't get all riled up like that Azelf it's bad for your health." Mesprit sighed, thinking about how she was supposed to be the emotional one. "Besides I haven't seen Arceus look this concerned since before he decided on choosing Rex to wield the Plates." She admitted with a note of curiosity.

_Ahem. _The voice of the Alpha Pokemon sounded in their heads, followed by some coughing from the God as well. _Back to the matter at hand… It's one that chiefly concerns Rex Vermend himself. _Arceus began and there were several questions from the five legendaries at once. _ONE AT A TIME! _He thundered loudly and the commotion died almost instantly. Although he was kept in a golden globe of energy they could almost see the anger on his face.

Palkia was the first one to ask. "So what exactly is it about Rex Vermend that concerned you Arceus? Is it something to do with his strength, because he seems perfectly fine to me." He admitted and displayed a screen of Rex fighting against Freed in the air with his spacial powers. It showed the powered up Freed fighting Rex in mid air.

_No, but at the same time yes. _Arceus responded and was met with general looks of confusion from the other legendaries present. _It's to do with something that he buried from all of us. Something that he buried deep within his heart and we can only wait and hope for him to resolve. The first real test for him as the Guardian is about to commence shortly and only _he _knows what will happen. _He explained somewhat cryptically and there was only one Legendary who really understood what he had meant.

"...Wait a minute, you don't mean what happened back then do you?" A shocked Dialga inquired as he presented on a screen of his own something that had happened many years ago, it showed a group of pokemon in the Hoenn region, some native, others from different regions in a suburban area. But what really got everyone surprised was the way in which they looked.

"What, what, WHAT?" Uxie cried out loud and Mesprit looked at her in surprise. "But… I had thought they all disappeared suddenly shortly after attacking the Hoenn region!" She cried out and had a look of anger on her face and began to unconsciously open her eye a fragment, with everyone else including Arceus avoiding direct contact otherwise they would have their memories wiped but Uxie regained control of herself in time.

"You knew about them, so why didn't you tell us?" Azelf asked.

Uxie looked away with a scowl on her face. "Because I didn't want to, I was so disgusted by what the humans had done it was something only to be kept a secret between me, Arceus and DIalga. There was an agreement between us to never mention this again." Uxie growled and began getting riled up again. "I can't believe they were capable of pulling off _that _kind of crap…" She trailed off and began muttering to herself again.

"So you think there is a connection between them and Rex?" Palkia asked, trying to calm the Knowledge Pokemon down. "And whatever that is is the resulting darkness within his heart? So why not just give them to another person?" He asked rather bluntly.

_It isn't as simple as that, because only I can do it… given my current state that is almost impossible to do, and none of you can really go and help him either, so it's a case of waiting it out and seeing what happens. _Arceus explained calmly and let out another cough. _Besides… I have faith that he'll overcome it. _He finished rather abruptly, with no one even thinking about what might happen in case of anything else happening.

* * *

**Magnolia Town**

As the sun rose over Magnolia Town, Rex woke up to find that he was sharing his bed with Erza and then groaned as he tried to think back to what had happened the previous night and then he remembered. After showing Erza the grave for Simon and they then teleported back to his home. They were talking and having a good time before they decided to sleep together for the night. _It's all coming back to me now, heh. I guess we got caught up in the spirit of things and never really went back to Fairy Hills._

Rex yawned and sat up before poking a sleeping Erza in the cheek and heard her gentle snoring. Rex let out a giggle and then began whispering in her ear. "Rise and shine my queen." He leaned over and whispered into her ear. Erza responded by turning over to one side and murmuring something, with Rex only being able to sigh in disbelief.

"I didn't wanna have to do this, but you leave me no choice." Rex stated out loud and then grinned. "**Tickle!**" He stated with glee and began tickling her on the sides of her body and then moved up and downwards. At first Erza began moving from side to side and tried to ignore but eventually began breaking out in fits of laughter and then unconsciously pushed Rex to one side, also making her fall off the bed.

Erza landed face first and then opened her eyes and mover body in a sitting up position and yawned. "Wh-what happened?" She asked, suppressing a few giggles as the Tickle attack had died down and then let out a small gasp upon seeing where she was. "Why am I here?" She asked.

"That's because I teleported us back here and we ended up sleeping in my bed together with you still in that white blouse whilst I manage to change into something more appropriate." Rex explained briefly and she saw that he was wearing a set of dark pyjamas in comparison to his normal light outfit and then laughed and began pointing towards her hair which was untidy. Then Erza began blushing as she saw it and then ran through to find a brush.

"In the 2nd drawer on the right." Rex provided helpfully and then watched as Erza began frantically brushing at her hair and straightened it out. Then he came over and began brushing it for her in a much more calmer fashion and Erza decided to let him do it since he had felt more in control and he looked at a mirror as it returned to normal.

"How did you get so good when it comes to it?" Erza asked.

"It's because I used to take care of an Electrike and it evolved into a Manectric. He had fur as well which I used to brush on a regular basis. At first he didn't like it much but eventually he realised how important it was to keep neat and tidy." Rex replied in a calm tone and then put the hairbrush down before yawning and taking off his clothes as he headed for the shower.

As the sound of running water could be heard, Erza looked in the mirror quietly and then began to think a few things over. Some of them included the things that had happened last night and over their growing relationship since they first met. _Looking back on things, I realise that since we first met we were probably heading towards this relationship eventually. It's because of the way he cares for everyone. _Erza thought and listened as he attempted to sing, only to end up coughing again like the last time when he was resting at Mirajane's before Phantom Lord. Rex stepped out of the shower, covering his lower body with a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Much better." Rex said as he came through, mostly dry but there was the occasional drip of water from his hair. "You should have a shower, it'll do you good Erza. Helps to wake you up." Rex recommended and Erza, who then yawned again and decided to follow his advice to and had a shower as Rex changed and then whilst she was also drying off she noted that Rex was making some notes down on the paper and then bundled it into his pocket.

"So what is going to happen now?" Erza asked.

"For now I've got to go to the shopping district within the Town and get a few things for something that I'm making later." Rex replied and then looked around for some of the money he had kept in the home and then managed to get what he guessed would be enough. _I have a few spare berries that I can use as well as a few other things for making the Pokepuffs. _"You should rest for the day and take some time to recover."

"That might be the best thing to do." Erza admitted and eventually was in her normal Heart Kreuz Armour. "Rex… thanks for last night. I really enjoyed it." She said and left when she saw the smile on his face as she set off for the Guild Hall.

Once he was left on his own, Rex let out a sigh and then walked to the kitchen and starting getting some things out, including a mixing bowl, a baking tray and the usual cooking utensils. Greninja came in and began looking around with some excitement as he realised what that meant and then opened the door outside and began yelling towards Garchomp. "Wake up, we're gonna get Pokepuffs!" He yelled and Garchomp woke up and looked up with his head, sniffing the air. As soon as she smelled the oven warming up in the kitchen and then suddenly got up and walked into the house.

"Stop it, you're all crowding me!" Rex shouted irritably and then everyone who had come in the kitchen, which just so happened to be all of his Pokemon crowding the kitchen and as a result had to duck and weave between all of his Pokemon just to get something done and as a result Gallade and Gardevoir decided to return to their Pokeballs and both Aggron and Garchomp decided on some physical training outside.

"Phew, a lot better. Now all I need is some flour and an extra pint of milk, because I'm running low it would seem." Rex sighed and then began walking towards the shopping district with the crumpled piece of paper in his hand, and decided to top a few of his Pokepuffs with some of the berries he had picked up along his travels back in the Pokemon world and along with a few other additions to it as well. Starting at the open market he decided to buy some cherries and then quickly followed it up with the milk and flour needed.

Then he decided to get and look through the local book store, known as Book Land and looked around for a book about the history of Fiore but didn't have much success and only got as far as finding a book about recent history of Fiore. _Damn, I'd at least like to know a bit more about Zeref, other than the fact he is one of the most evil people to exist on this world hopefully. _He thought with a bit of frustration and continued looking through just to see what else there would be out of interest.

Another person entered the store and Rex gave her a brief look before returning looking through the shelves and eventually managed to find a book on the history of Fiore though it looked rather old, and was rather expensive but that didn't bother to him, and Rex saw that it was much thicker than the last one. _Okay, it would seem like I'm getting this one then. The Complete and Extensive History of Fiore, 5th edition. Seems good enough. _He thought and picked it off the shelf.

It was heavier than he anticipated and he briefly wondered how much of it was down to the cover as he decided to get it anyway and lined up behind the small girl who had entered the shop. Upon putting his book down on the counter the shop owner looked at it for a moment. "You know, for a moment I thought I would have never see this get sold. Lately I thought I had sold but that might be a sign of me getting along a bit more." The shop owner admitted.

"Really, how long has it been sitting there?" Rex asked.

"Let's see, it's been there about 18 months." The shopkeeper stated as the bell of the door rang out again as he paid for it with most of the leftover money he had on his own hands and then walked out to see the little girl from before tripping over and falling on the floor.

The girl in question was petite with fair skin and she had long, dark blue hair that reached down to her waist with two bangs framing her face which reach down to her chest alongside her brown eyes. She wore a simple dress with two wavy stripes that were coloured blue and yellow alternately, running across the dress and ending in small pointed edges at the bottom. Around her arms and legs she wears wing like attachments. On her right shoulder was a yellow Guild Mark that looked like a cat and she also wore a pair of blue shoes.

Rex ran over to her and then placed his stuff down gently next to him and then helped the girl up and looked at the stuff scattered around her. "Are you feeling okay?" He asked.

Looking upwards he saw that her eyes were brown and she was looking a bit flustered and embarrassed. "Um… yes… I'm sorry.. I do that often and at the worst of time as well." She began to say and then started to pick up the bag and other bits she had dropped.

Rex then began picking the rest of them up using Psychic and the girl looked on in surprise. "Relax, nothing seems to be damaged, at least from the outside." He said, inspecting some of the objects, which were also wrapped and tied together in a ribbon. "There, everything is stacked and sorted now. So what are you doing all the way here in Magnolia?" He asked out of curiosity and began levitating his stuff using Psychic.

He heard the girl let out a small cry of surprise and looking at him in thought, and as she picked it up she then remembered him. "You're Rex Vermend, aren't you?!" She cried out in surprise and then flushed as if not knowing what to say. "Um, well nice to meet you… and my name is Wendy Marvell." Wendy introduced herself with a bow and almost dropped all of her stuff on the floor again. "I was sent here on a personal request of the Master of the Cait Shelter Guild." She added.

"Cait Shelter, huh. I haven't really heard of them, though I guess I shouldn't be surprised you've heard of me given my reputation for being in trouble." Rex admitted and let out a small groan. "Where is the Cait Shelter Guild anyway?"

"It lies up north, a bit further than the Worth Woodsea." Wendy explained when they reached a map and then pointed it out on the map.

"I see… have you finished your request yet, because if you have you could take the rest of the day off and spend it with me. Besides, I was finished with what I wanted to do right now and I need to get back to my house and bake something for my companions." Rex said and then used Psychic to lift up all of his stuff.

"Well, I guess so." Wendy said though looked on nervously, thinking about it for a moment. "Do you think that your companions would be okay if I came around?" She asked.

Rex nodded once and raised an eyebrow, wondering what she was thinking about. "Of course they would. Though I should give you a bit of a warning, they're all likely to be larger than you and despite their looks are gentle." He added as they continued walking through the Town. As they got closer, Wendy began asking questions about his companions but Rex kept it mostly under wraps, allowing her to speculate more.

When they got home, Rex saw the look on her face. "I never realised that your house was this big!" Wendy stated and they went in.

"I've got what I needed! Gardevoir, fire up the oven and get it ready!" Rex shouted rather loudly and then Greninja silently appeared from the garden, moving so fast that Wendy thought he had appeared in a blur and that his appearance also startled Wendy. Then Gallade came in and looked at Wendy too with intrigue.

"So Senpai, who is this young girl?" Gallade asked, and stowed his elongated elbows away.

"Her name is Wendy, and she came from up north and the Cait Shelter Guild." Rex explained as they both went into the kitchen and she was tall enough to see over the top of it and found a scrap of paper with some writing on it as well as all the cooking equipment that Rex had and began making a mixture.

"When you said they looked rather strange, I didn't know that one of them looked like a frog and two others looked like normal people." Wendy stated, looking at the three of them in turn, though Greninja was the only one who took offense to that and nearly flipped out in a rage only to be stopped by Gallade who hit him with a Leaf Blade. Wendy looked on in surprise as she saw Gallade's arms extended suddenly and retract after hitting Greninja.

"So you want to know a bit more about them I take it?" Rex asked as he had finished making the mixture and then he began dividing it into twelve separate pieces and started explaining about how he came to Fiore and initially stunned Wendy into silence which elicited a round of giggles from everyone present including Rex who stopped what he had did.

"I don't know what I should say about the task you've undertaken. It seems like such a difficult task…" Wendy began and thought for a moment. "How can you look so calm about this?" She asked and Rex noticed she was putting her two fingers together nervously. Rex noted that she always did that when nervous.

"If I didn't keep so calm then I'd faint from the excitement." Rex pointed out and then put the baking tray into the oven. "Good, they should be ready in about 20-30 minutes on this heat." He stated and then began to get some more things out including icing sugar, a piping bag and the extra ingredients as well.

"Um… what are you making?" Wendy asked as she looked in the oven and saw the light coming from a Lacrima inside.

"I'm making something known as Poke Puffs where I come from. They are fed to Pokemon like a snack and they are enjoyed not only by them but also for normal people like us." Rex explained and then looked over at the extra stuff on his table which included a berry with a long yellow fruit and it was connected to a green spiked plant with a small yellow stalk, a berry that looked like a five pointed star at one end and trailing off to one point at the other and a red berry with spikes and a few small green leaves on it.

"What are those?" Wendy asked and wanted to inspect the red berry with her hands.

"I wouldn't take a bite out of that Tamato Berry, because they have a notorious reputation for being very spicy and they are best enjoyed by Fire type Pokemon and those who know moves like Flamethrower and Fire Blast." Rex warned her as she had stretched out one of her hands before freezing and then drawing it back. "As for the other two, the yellow one is known as a Wacan Berry and the five pointed star is a Starf Berry."

Taking them out they saw that they were cooked evenly and looked a bit brown in places and Rex began making the frosting for them as he decided on what to put on top of them for half of them, already knowing what to do for each of his Pokemon. Half of the Pokepuffs were a light yellow colour, three of them were orange and the remaining three were a dark brown colour. "They came out just fine." He said to Wendy and outside they all heard a loud crashing noise.

"W-what was that?" Wendy asked and began shaking.

"That was Garchomp and Aggron doing their normal physical workout. They did this a lot after Garchomp evolved from a Gabite." Rex shrugged and looking through a window Wendy marvelled at the sight of what appeared to be a blue dragon fighting a large metal lizard like creature. "Are you two going to stop soon because I'm almost finished with this." He stated loudly outside.

"Not quite yet, uwah!" Garchomp cried out as Aggron lifted her over his own shoulder and then threw her hard on the ground and she felt her vision swimming for a moment and then growled at him before locking her fins and running around Aggron to confuse him. As soon as Aggron decided to use Earthquake and shake the ground around him she leaped up and then tackled him from behind in a similar fashion to when using Dragon Rush.

Aggron then turned around and grunted from the impact. "Nice, I didn't see that one coming. Been a while since you decided to use that trick." He admitted as he swung around and smacked Garchomp with a metal fist and unexpectedly began to use his tail to tickle her nose and she moved back a step to stop herself from sneezing. Aggron had clearly done enough though as Garchomp sneezed and shot out some fire.

"How long can they go on for?" Wendy asked as she looked up at Rex who was busy decorating the orange ones after he had finished the frosting.

Rex paused to think about it for a moment before giving his answer. "I think the longest they did that for was more than half a day. A testament to their physical power without using any of their moves." He added, seeing the surprise on her face and her eyes widening. He gave a small laugh as he saw her shaking again. "There is nothing to worry about Wendy, both of them aren't going to harm you." Rex chided gently.

Wendy looked up at him and began blushing, thinking about how he sounded a lot like Carla in some ways. "Really?" She asked.

"Of course, and it's a lot of fun to annoy the tin head, squawk!" Braviary grinned as he flew in from outside and glided over the worktop to land on top of the sofa and dig his claws in securely so that he didn't fall down and then turned so that he was facing. There was a yell coming from outside and Rex was the only one not to look at it and was busy with the Pokepuffs.

"They're done for you!" Rex cried out and all of the Pokemon then gathered in the living room, with Aggron and Garchomp standing behind the sofa, Greninja standing in front of it, and Gallade and Gardevoir sitting down in between Braviary.

Carrying through all of the yellow Pokepuffs, he showed them to each one and they picked one.

Greninja chose a basic Pokepuff with a slightly darker frosting and the round end of the Wacan Berry had been chopped up into three pieces and placed separated from each other. Garchomp chose the frosted Pokepuff with spikes from the Tamato Berry sliced in half and spread out in a circle like pattern on it and after eating it let out a small flame in the air that fizzled out after a few seconds. Braviary picked another frosted Pokepuff with grated pieces of chocolate on it and managed to get it in one bite, though in his defence he was bigger than one might think, and then swallowed it before letting out a small burp.

Gardevoir picked another one with a frosted swirl on it though this time there was also a small white spiral on it made out of icing and took her time eating it, doing so in several bites as opposed to half of the others. Gallade instantly picked the one with the Starf Berry on without even hesitating. This one was a basic Poke Puff, but the star end of the berry had been chopped off and placed on top of it, simple but definitely not boring. That left Aggron with one specifically made with him and in mind, and strangely to Wendy this one had iron filings on it and he ate it with great gusto, letting out a slight belch and licking the frosting that he had got on his lips.

"Like it?" Rex asked.

"Good as usual. I can't believe this fills my belly faster than Gajeel's metal." Aggron stated out loud before letting out another burp, louder than last time.

"But you still have no manners, tin head." Braviary sneered and then began pecking at the top part of Aggron's head and the Iron Armour Pokemon got really annoyed by this and then managed to catch Braviary by the neck.

"Stop it both of you!" Rex said in a commanding tone and then Aggron grudgingly let go.

This outburst had initially frightened Wendy who then grabbed onto Rex's body out of feeling unsafe and Gardevoir sighed at Aggron. "I hope you're happy, because you've scared her now." She scolded before looking at Wendy. "Everything is okay now, child." She said in a reassuring tone and Wendy couldn't help but think of Carla again.

The other ones that had come out looked just as good and Rex had frosted them all and put cherries and chocolate sprinkles on top of them and had a brown one, whilst Wendy had picked an orange one and was surprised to see how light and fluffy it tasted. "Could I have another one Rex-san?" She asked and was doing that thing with her fingers again.

"I guess so, but don't have too many. Four of them have been known to fill up even the hungriest of Pokemon, so proceed with caution." Rex advised her and then took note of something she had said. _Rex-san…? Okay then… if she wants to call me that then fine. _He thought and looked on as she ate another.

Wendy let out a small sigh after finishing them and then put a hand on her belly. "I would definitely like to have another one if I could fit them…" She began and let out a slight hiccup which made Rex laugh at how high pitched and cute it sounded. "I'm sorry for ea-*hic*-ting them… *hic* but I just *hic* couldn't help mys-*hic*-elf." Wendy apologized again and began bowing.

_Why is she apologising? _Rex thought with surprise and shook. "You don't need to say sorry about that. It's always like that for when you first try them, you end up underestimating how good they are and as a result always eat more." He shook his head and began putting the stuff away and cleaning with the help of Gardevoir, and within 10 minutes the kitchen area looked almost spotless.

Looking outside and seeing that the sun was starting to set Wendy gasped and began to get all of her stuff together. "Oh no! I almost forgot that I had to be back soon!" She began freaking out as she did so and nearly crashed through the door but Rex laid a calm hand on her shoulder and Wendy looked up at him.

"Take it slow and steady Wendy, otherwise you'll end up falling over okay?" Rex asked seriously and Wendy nodded as she tried to calm herself down before walking at a slower pace towards Magnolia Station.

Rex watched her as she walked from his door and then turned to his own thoughts. _There is something about that girl that I can't put my head on. Maybe we'll see each other again soon, but something about Wendy feels familiar… why can't I put my head on it?! _He thought and felt frustration rising before shaking his own head and calming down. "Ahhh, whatever. I'll go to the Guild Hall and see how everyone else is doing at the moment." Rex decided before switching to the Sky Plate and flying there, where he found Lucy who told her about what happened after she rushed off.

Initially she had tried to get through but the people deployed from the Army wouldn't let her until she showed them the job request for help and they let her through, though with some doubt in them. It didn't take her long to dispatch of the members of the Naked Mummy Dark Guild as they were known, with the help of several of her Celestial Spirits and eventually ran into her father who was going to work. Jude then revealed that her name came from the fact that they had met up at the Love and Lucky Guild, but the letter K wasn't lighting up so it looked like Lucy, and that of all things her father was actually happy to see her in Fairy Tail.

"Some story. I can't believe your father actually admitted you were better off in Fairy Tail. Did what I say to you help?" Rex asked and Erza who was sitting next to him raised an eyebrow out of suspicion.

Lucy gulped as Erza was taking it the wrong way. "Not like that! He meant that I shouldn't stay angry at what he did and that Phantom's actions were not as a direct result of him hiring them." She pointed out quickly and Erza calmed down with a look of understanding on her face.

"Oh, okay then." She said in a satisfied.

"Did you plan on cheating on her Rex?" Happy teased and then missed being hit by his fist.

_I'm never going to hear the end of that accidental announcement am I? _Rex thought and groaned inwardly as Erza glared at Happy who decided to go back to Natsu all of a sudden.

* * *

**That's it folks, well how did you like that? Was it good enough for you, did you also like the appearance of Wendy pre Oracion Seis or is it horrible? Though I will have some fun with Rex on the next arc…**

**Next Time on Guardian Fairy - Alliance of the Light**

**Makarov calls a surprise meeting in Fairy Tail for one reason - to make a big move on one of the three major Dark Guilds. There is one thing though, they won't be alone! How will Rex and co handle this development?**


	27. Alliance of the Light

**Okay, it's finally time to start the Oracion Seis Arc and looking on what I have planned ahead for this, it may take more chapters than I initially intend for it to be but that'll be ok. I want to say to the guest, no special Greninja Forme, although I haven't ruled out Perfect Zygarde yet.**

**Previously on Guardian Fairy - **

**Rex: **Last night went far better than expected Father. It looks as if both me and Erza had the same idea of getting ready and thus we mostly avoided each other until it got to the designated time where we went to the White Heron, a nice place by the way. After that we toured around the Town in our own little boat and then I surprised her with a plain grave dedicated to Simon. We ended up sleeping in our bed for the night and the following day was spent mainly recovering, so I decided to make some Poke Puffs for my team and in the meantime I met a cute young girl called Wendy. I swear though, something about her feels different yet I still haven't figured it out!

* * *

**Chapter 27 - Alliance of the Light**

Up in the north of Fiore there is a large forest that is known as the Worth Woodsea which covers a fair amount of northern Fiore. Though unlike most of the forests a large area of it looked as if the life had been sucked out of it and was covered in a thick and unusual darkness. If someone were to look down on it from a large cliff they could see the dark aura that hung over the large section of the forest and indeed there were several people doing just that.

The first person had dark skin and was riding on his companion, a large purple coloured winged snake. "I can hear it, the darkness in the forest. That means it is close by." He said.

The male standing next to him looked slightly taller and wore glasses over his eye. "You shouldn't be so hasty." He chided. "Although, speed may be a useful thing if we are to achieve what we're searching for." he admitted and the first person chuckled in amusement.

"Evening gentlemen, wasn't expecting to see a party here all of a sudden." Came a distorted voice and the pair of them turned around quickly to see Kelsier sitting atop a rock and looking presumably nonchalant about their threatening posture. "Are you really thinking about putting me through a fight, because I certainly don't want or need one right now."

The dark skinned male snorted. "That thing is useless, I can hear your inner voice you know." He pointed out and Kelsier let out a sigh as the device which modified his voice switched off and parted to reveal only his mouth. "So if you don't want to fight then why are you here?"

Kelsier gave a slight smile and the dark skinned male growled as he hear inwards laughter. "I hope that the rest of your Guild is nearby, Cobra, because I have a proposition for your leader and it's a very good one, trust me." He added in a slightly seductive tone and from the trees behind them, three males and a female emerged from it.

The largest one who also had the weirdest looking face on him spoke up. "Will the offer come with lots of money, oh yeah!" He asked with some enthusiasm and Kelsier fell silent.

It was the only female of the group who spoke next and she also looked at the fat one in annoyance. "I highly doubt it, I'd say information. That is worth more than money." She pointed out and besides her floated a pair of strange blue dolls.

The leader of this group was also a dark skinned male, and he stood out on account of the strange blue tattoos over his face and body within it. "That is enough chatter from all of you." He said, ignoring the person to his right who was sleeping on a carpet and ignoring everyone. "So you say you have a proposition for you, I'd be curious as to know what it involves and what we would get out of it." He stated, tapping the ground twice with his staff.

Faraway in a foggy area there was an airship that belonged to the Dark Guild Grimoire Heart and on the main deck stood Ultear, the woman who had infiltrated the Magic Council and she was wearing a slightly different outfit than the last time. Outstretched in her hand was one of her orbs and it was floating around her and she looked at at person sitting down in the shadows. "It would appear that the Oracion Seis are making their move now Master Hades." Ultear stated.

From the darkness Hades smiled and looked on in amusement. "Excellent work Ultear on the Magic Council." He congratulated the woman, continuing to talk. "The Oracion Seis, I'm amused that they think they can actually do something about this world." Hades was about to say something when he spotted Ultear acting as if there was something else. "What is on your mind?"

Ultear looked caught off guard and then played back the footage of her meeting with Kelsier and Hades studied it carefully with interest. "Interesting, so this Bomb Magic user… he's from _that_ Guild. They work independently of the three of us. I guess then if it works for him I suppose that nothing can make a difference. It'll be interesting to see what his own Guild will achieve. Play along for now." Hades ordered to Ultear who nodded once before departing.

Hades then turned to someone else who was waiting within the shadows. "So Zoldeo, what do you think about him then? Can you feel the energy flowing through Vermend?" In the shadows stood a tall person that looked like it had many different horns.

"...I can, so much of it in his delicate body." Zoldeo replied and looked at him with a single glowing eye.

Hades let out a smile. _So if it's a much as Zoldeo says it is then he could be a vital part of our plan. _Hades thought with a smile of amusement and considered a few more things about Magic and looked at a shot of Rex Vermend in his fight against Jose Porla.

* * *

**Magnolia Town**

The following day there was an emergency meeting that Team Natsu were informed of as soon as they entered Magnolia Town and they were not the only ones there. Many other members of the Guild were also present, including Juvia, Gajeel, Cana, Mirajane and Elfman, Locke as well as many others and Mirajane stood in front of them with a Light Pen drawn diagram that feature a large circle with names of three Guilds in it and from them were several lines connected to other various Guild. Another notable thing was that outside of said circle were the names of two other Guilds, though one of them had been crossed out along with one of the Guilds connected to the one inside the circle.

"So what exactly is this? A diagram of Guilds?" Rex asked, not recognizing any of the names that were on there.

Mirajane had a serious look on her face. "More than just that. All of the Guilds you see listed on here are Dark Guilds. In the middle of them lie the three strongest Dark Guilds, the Oración Seis - Grimoire Heart - Tartaros." She explained and pointed to all three of them in turn. "The three Guilds all make up the Balam Alliance, the name given to the alliance of those Dark Guilds."

"So what's up with the two Dark Guilds outside the circle?" Locke asked, spotting two of them and paying particular attention to one of them, which he knew were active.

"These two Guilds functioned outside the Balam Alliance, the first being Raven Tail." Mirajane pointed to the first circle drawn outside the Big Three and both Gajeel and Locke exchanged a glance. "The second one that operated outside the Balam Alliance, Talon Core, is generally believed to have been disbanded two years ago by the Council." She admitted.

"Did anyone actually strike at them?" Gray asked, raising an eyebrow for clarification.

Mirajane fiddled with her Light Pen for a moment. "Well… none of the Legal Guilds really know what exactly happened because the Council put a really tight lid on things." She explained but everyone else except for Locke knew what they meant by that and decided not to pursue the matter any further.

"During the time that Gajeel and I worked for Phantom we took out a number of Dark Guilds that were working for the Balam Alliance and wiped them out before we attacked Fairy Tail but that's all in the past right?" Juvia began and the said that last part out very quickly.

Gray looked at her. "Yeah… I don't think anyone is going to forget that anytime soon." He disagreed and Juvia looked at him almost in shock.

"Hey, I recognise the name of this Guild!" Happy pointed out and everyone looked towards one of the names connected to the Oración Seis - Eisenwald.

"Eisenwald… they were the Guild that tried to get rid of the Guildmasters." Rex remembered out loud and thought back to the first major event that he was a part of, when he only had the five Plates. Then he also thought about Erigor and the fight that person had put up. It was also the first time he had used one of the Legendary Signature Arts and ended up destroying the Conference Hall in the process. "Not one of my finest moments." Rex sweatdropped and looked down nervously.

Natsu laughed. "Yeah, the looks on the faces of those Guildmasters when they saw you destroying that flute Melody was priceless!" He grinned.

"You mean Lullaby Natsu." Gray corrected him as he sweatdropped though for a different reason. "So what exactly warrants bringing up all these Dark Guilds?" He asked.

It was then that Makarov came through the doors with a serious look on his face. "The reason Gray is that providing things go well, we'll effectively wipe out one third of the Balam Alliance in one stroke." He announced and everyone turned to look him with surprise at the sudden announcement. Taking on a Dark Guild was risky enough, but going after one of the three strongest Dark Guilds in Fiore was a completely different thing altogether. "Today, we'll send our strongest to defeat the Oración Seis!" He increased his voice.

There was complete silence until Mirajane said in her typically cheery tone, "Welcome back Master!" and everyone facepalmed at the sudden switch in her tone before going back to face the Master who had taken over from Mirajane.

Getting up on the table facing the whole Guild, Makarov still kept his serious tone as he faced all of them and then clenched one of his fists. "It has been decided at the Conference meeting that the actions of the Oración Seis can no longer be tolerated and that they must be destroyed!" He announced loudly and all eyes were on him. "That is why… you'll be joining a coalition of Guilds!"

There were several looks of confusion. "A coalition of Guilds? We'll be joined by other members of Legal Guilds as well then?" Levy asked.

"We don't need any help, we can beat them easily all on our own!" Natsu retorted loudly and clenched his fists in excitement. "Right, Happy?"

The blue cat jumped up in the air, equally excited. "Aye sir!" He chirped.

Makarov cleared his throat and the voices died down as he carried on. "We'll be joined by members from the Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus and Cait Shelter Guilds. In an hour I'll be sending anyone who wants to go." He continued and in the air were the Guild Marks of the four Guilds that made up what could easily called the Light Alliance.

_Cait Shelter? Wendy told me that was where she came from when we met two days ago… how many are going to represent them? _Rex thought as he stared at the Guild Mark of the cat and found that there was a hand waving in front of him.

The hand was an armoured one belonging to Erza Scarlet in her Heart Kreuz Armour who had noticed him staring at the yellow mark. "You've heard of Cait Shelter?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I actually encountered one of their members a few days ago, who told me there were from Cait Shelter, but that was it." Rex waved it off.

Lucy was shaking from fright. "This whole thing is creepy, I don't like the prospect of taking on one of the three biggest Dark Guilds." She admitted outright.

Rex then turned to her in confusion. "Two days ago Lucy you ran off and defeated a whole Dark Guild single handedly and all of its members were ten foot tall and looked like monkeys." He pointed out in a calm tone.

"I didn't do it single handedly and I told you what had happened!" She protested.

Natsu grinned and slammed a foot down on the table. "Yeah, this is going to be fun! I could easily beat them with my bare hands!" He declared confidently, and everyone guessed that he was going to volunteer.

Gray smirked as he stood up. "For once I actually agree with the idiot. It's time to show them that Fairy Tail is not to be messed with." He added with equal confidence, signalling that he was going to volunteer as well.

"Aye sir! With Lucy, Erza and Rex on our side there is no way we'd fall to the Oración Seis!" Happy agreed, nominating the three people he had mentioned. Lucy looked at him suddenly and groaned, knowing that it was pointless at this time to protest, and all she could do was hope for the best and that she wouldn't have to do much fighting.

Macao and Wakaba who sat at a table near Lucy tried to cheer her up. "Think of it this way, there are only 6 of them!" Macao pointed out.

Mirajane had heard this and walked over and looked at them seriously again. "They may only be 6 in number, but they shouldn't be underestimated." She added and Lucy felt herself dissolving into a puddle like a dehydrated Goomy.

Several hours later Natsu, Gray, Erza, Lucy, Rex, Happy and Locke were all riding a carriage drawn by an animal native to Fiore that looked like some bizarre cross between a bull and something else, though Rex wasn't exactly sure of what it was and decided not to try and find out what. Predictably, Natsu was groaning and complaining about motion sickness with Happy trying to help him out and several eyes were on the salmon haired man.

"I don't get it… why the heck am I here?!" Lucy complained somewhat loudly and they all turned to face her. "Wouldn't it have been more sensible to take someone like Gajeel and Juvia with us?" She reasoned, trying to think of anything to get her away from being a part of this.

"You really shouldn't be this negative Lucy, it's bad for your health." Happy pointed out as he was chewing on some fish and that earned him an outraged look from the Celestial Spirit Mage.

Erza tried to diffuse the situation. "Gajeel and Juvia are out on their own jobs and thus were unable to come here, which leaves us with you as the next available option." She pointed out and this didn't help things much, though Lucy did stop complaining about it. Then she turned to Locke and saw that he was being unusually quiet, even for himself. "Is something bothering you?"

Locke turned after realising that the question was aimed at him and shook his head. "I'm not really worried about anything, I just want to get started as soon as possible. I don't like travelling this much and it makes me tired for some reason." He admitted and right on cue gave a yawn, though the act of stifling it make him look like he was between yawning and opening his mouth.

"So when exactly are we going to get there?" Rex asked. "It feels like we've been traveling for ages."

"I don't really know, but that shouldn't be a problem right?" Erza said comfortingly as they both leaned against each other.

Lucy looked almost embarrassed by Happy snickered. "I don't mind these little displays of affection in the Guild Hall, but could you not do so at a time like this?" She asked.

"Killjoy." Both Happy and Rex accused her at the same time.

It wasn't that much later when they arrived at the place where the Allied Forces would meet up and everyone was looking at the large building in front of them. It was a square looking building from above with most of the walls on the outside being rectangular with other parts protruding on top and in front of the building were some trees. The walls are split into several, rectangular sections by a number of flat pillars protruding from the wall, with a strange structure that resembled wings. On top of them stood horizontal frames that separate the first floor from the second and that most of the outside was painted in a pink colour.

From the skies, Garchomp flew downwards and unlocked her fins upon landing and made very little noise. "This look extremely gaudy." She remarked as they all entered the place and she had to duck to avoid the top of her head scraping the door.

The entrance gave way to an extremely large hall complete with a mezzanine held up by square, slender pillars, adorned by many stylized hearts and topped by a balustrade, with more pillars visible on it, holding up the ceiling. The walls were made of bricks and sported square columns, with lamps embedded into parts of them and most of them were lit. Directly up from the stairs stood a pair of large double doors of which there were several of them that were each adjourned by a large pink heart. The floor consists of many large and square tiles, and the central part of it is dominated by a large, royal carpet, with its light edges adorned by a number of lined up hearts, which goes from the entrance up the majestic staircase leading to the mezzanine and there was a bannister there.

"It may look that way to you, but that is only because that the place belongs to the Guild Master of Blue Pegasus - Bob." Erza explained.

The reaction from Natsu and Gray was almost instantaneous. "You mean that creepy guy owns the place?!" Gray asked and both of them shivered as they remembered their last meeting with the oddly dressed Guildmaster and that was during the Lullaby incident. Even Rex shuddered a little as Bob had fawned over him and he did not really like that at all.

Erza then let out a slightly uneasy but nonetheless respectful cough. "Even though Bob is a little… eccentric, that doesn't mean we should give him any less respect." She pointed out and Rex shook his head, trying to get the thought of the way.

Garchomp then grinned widely and looked down towards Rex who was getting redder by the second. "Now why are you blushing all of a sudden Rex, it sounds like you'd be great friends with Bob." She pointed out in an extremely trollish tone.

"Hey, for someone of my sexual orientation I take offense to that absurd suggestion!" Rex retorted both loudly and quickly and began pounding Garchomp in a rather comical way and calmed down, seeing that it would be useless. "Okay, so where are the other Guilds?" He asked, moving to a more serious.

As if on cue the lights turned off all of a sudden and then a single light shone down from above at the bottom at the staircases and three voices said one after another. "Welcome, members of Fairy Tail." They chanted in a musical tone and everyone turned to face them.

There were three men, though one of them looked more like a boy if truth be told. The one on the right, who was also the tallest of the three of them had spiky brownish that was also somewhat messy, with some of the hair framing his face. His eyes were dark and he also had longer eyelashes than usual. He was wearing a dark, double-breasted suit with a pair of distinctive light lines circling each sleeve and lower leg and Blue Pegasus' symbol on its left shoulder. This was worn over a blue pinstripe shirt that was closed by a dark tie.

The man in the middle was a tanned slim man with spiky hair reaching his shoulders and sporting a short upwards ponytail. His eyebrows jutted up in a pair of spikes and he had brown eyes. His attire consists of a black suit with the jacket left open, bearing Blue Pegasus' symbol on its left shoulder, over a leopard patterned shirt, whose similarly open collar reveals a small metal necklace circling his neck, and polished, dark dress shoes.

The boy (as Rex had decided to make his mind up) had his blonde hair in a bowl cut style with several strands covering his forehead and one of them curling upwards, as well as having dark eyes. His attire consisted of a black suit, with its sleeves and lower legs adorned by cross-like motifs outlined in a light color and its left shoulder bearing Blue Pegasus' symbol. Under it was a lilac shirt, with a darker purple tie around the neck, and polished loafers.

"You must be feeling tired after your long journey to get here. Please sit down." They all intoned and Rex turned towards Lucy to see her blushing.

"Er, do you know these guys?" He asked, feeling a bit taken aback by the flashy entrance, and wasn't exactly sure what to make of them.

Lucy nodded excitedly. "They've all featured in Sorcerer Weekly's top ten 10 bachelor's list! On the left is Holy Knight Eve, the middle one is Silent Knight Ren! As for the remaining member, his name is Hibiki Lates, also known as a Hundred Night Hibiki. Together they form the Trimens of Blue Pegasus!" She fangirled and then felt her heart beating really fast.

Hibiki in particular looked flattered at this compliment and then struck and pose, crossing his arms as he faced Lucy. "It seems we have fans of our looks among us. It is an honour to seem them react like that." He noted before turning to see Erza Scarlet who looked as equally as dumbfounded at the moment. "Trimens, we cannot believe what we are seeing. Like fate, the heavens have bestowed a gift upon us."

"Like fate, the heavens have bestowed a gift upon us." Ren and Eve chanted after him and then Erza shook on the spot slightly as dread began to creep upwards.

"The wonderful Erza Scarlet is joining us on such a dangerous quest, and our leader will be able to assist her." Hibiki went to one knee and had offered his hand to Erza and she decided after a moment's hesitation to accept it gracefully and Hibiki looked on in surprise as if he expected her to smack it away in preference for somewhere.

"We'd love to assist you!" Both Ren and Eve cheered.

Garchomp, Rex and Locke just stared at the group in complete silence, with the former looking both a mixture of grateful and annoyed. Then again, how on Earthland was anyone supposed to know that the giant dragon standing above them all was female.

As for Lucy she was currently looking at Natsu and Gray with a look of complete hopelessness on her face. The former was trying to recover from the small feelings of motion sickness after finding out who this place belonged to and the latter had lost his composure after losing his shirt again. _Those two are hopeless compared to the three of them, they look like proper gentlemen._

Hibiki then turned to face the other two members of the Trimens who were currently present. "As gentlemen we cannot let our guests stand around weary all day." He clapped his hands one delicately and then two separate areas were set up for Erza and Lucy.

One of them was Eve and Hibiki sitting either side of her and they were presenting a cup of tea towards Erza, with Eve looking up at her in both admiration and envy (strangely enough it was the good kind of envy) and Hibiki sat with an arm on the back and looked at Erza with a pitiful smile on her face. Erza was staring awkwardly at Eve and not really sure how to react to this, especially in light of what had happened the previous chapter. All this did was infuriate Rex for more reasons then one and began to let out a low growl under his throat.

As for Ren he had tried a different approach and sat Lucy down at the opposite end of the second couch and she looked in confusion as he had made an orange coloured drink for her and then he pushed it rather coyly towards her and then spoke up. "Here it is, it's not like I made it for you or anything." Ren added.

This was what made Lucy cold all of sudden. _Is he seriously all of a sudden acting like a Tsundere? _She thought and then was considerably turned off.

Locke after analysing the situation, decided to speak up and try to diffuse the growing tension, but it would ultimately make things worse. "So, are they our butlers or something? Because I was expecting something a bit more, battle ready." He admitted outright and everyone stopped to look at him.

Rex looked at him abruptly and then began laughing at the sudden statement made by the burgundy haired Mage and the Trimens merely glared at him. "You know something? I think you might just be right about that!" He remarked and then continued laughing, and even Garchomp grinned and was silently agreeing as well.

Then came the sound of a fourth person, a deep male voice that came from above. "Men." He said, drawing out the word for a minute. "Now is not the time to start a fight, for we must be as allies, especially with someone like me here to help." He called out from atop the staircase and was actually on the bannister doing a strange pose.

The man in question was short and stout, and had a distinctly rectangular face, a large flat nose which always seems to be shining, and prominent cheekbones. He has dark eyes and thick eyebrows, with a pair of lines pointing towards his nose below them, plus some stubble around his mouth and a prominent chin. His hair was a bright shade of orange and it was arranged in many spikes that jutted towards the left.

His attire consisted of a white suit with elbow-long sleeves, with distinctive pants ending below his knees in dark hems, adorned by Blue Pegasus' symbol on its left shoulder, over an orange shirt covered in many dark leaf motifs, possessing sleeves reaching down below his elbows and closed around the neck by a red bow tie, and elegant light shoes paired with light socks. The left part of his chest was adorned by a large flower reminiscent of a rose, and a wide, dark belt was seen hanging over his right hip, with several flasks attached to it.

"Men, we must welcome these guests with a unique perfume." He stated and then looked at Erza with apparent shock. "Like the Trimens have stated, it is a surprise." He paused before saying the last two words rather dramatically. He then began sliding down the barrier, only getting faster.

"What a surprise." His Trimens repeated after him.

"A reunion." Ichiya added, eyes closed.

"A reunion."

Ichiya landed face first on the floor in front of Erza. "An excellent entrance as usual Sensei." The Trimens stated and bowed as he got up.

"Do you know this clown Erza?" Garchomp asked, watching the funny orange haired man striking all sorts of poses. In a way it reminded her of a Pikachu she once saw that was dressed in a Lucha Libre outfit, though the man presently looked 10x creepier.

Erza swallowed and tried to concentrate. "Yes… his name is Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki and unfortunately is the leader of the Trimens." She explained in a resigned tone and then Garchomp turned sharply back to face Ichiya.

"Yes, it must be destiny that we've met up again, my Honey." He finished and looked to Erza for approval.

_My Honey…? _Rex thought, amazed. Locke, Lucy and a few others gave a more verbal cry of surprise.

"Every word coming out of that man's mouth is a filthy lie!" She shouted angrily.

Ichiya stared up at the form of Garchomp as if taking a good look at her for the first time and had an unreadable expression on his face, creeping her out as well. "Men, your perfume is that of a unique one. We must be privileged to have a dragon amongst our numbers." He deduced before posing again. "With a creature such as you on our side the Oración Seis should be quivering in their boots!" Ichiya declared confidently.

The Trimens took this opportunity to all look at Garchomp in a mixture of curiosity and fear.

Locke was staring at Ichiya again and then nodded. "Definitely our butlers." He confirmed.

"No kidding, I thought we were actually going to have someone capable of taking on the Oración Seis and all we get is a bunch of playboys who all seem to think about only women." Gray snarked, still not impressed by the representatives of the Blue Pegasus Guild.

This rubbed the three younger males the wrong way. "Do you think you stand a chance against the Oración Seis all on your own?" Eve asked backwards as they all glared back at the Fairy Tail group.

Natsu grinned at the rowing tension. "If it's a fight you're looking for then you've come to the right place!" He shouted, indicating himself.

"N-now now Gray, we shouldn't be disrespectful. For all of Ichiya's eccentricities, he can be surprisingly helpful if you give him a chance." Erza pointed out and tried again to diffuse the situation. Then Ichiya ran around to face her and she let out a brief high pitched yipping noise.

"How fortunate, for our teacher has found a beautiful woman to marry." Hibiki stated out loud.

"How fortunate." Both Ren and Eve intoned after him.

Ichiya then tried to say something to Erza but instead found Rex standing above him, and the Guardian was not looking very happy. "I dunno if you got the message yet or not, but I'll make sure you got the message." He scowled at Ichiya and Erza looked at him hopefully. "Erza is not going to be your girlfriend, understand? She's mine." Then Ichiya was lifted off of the ground and thrown with some force at the entrance.

"Is this how we are greeted? With a flying fool?" A voice much like Gray asked, though there was a bit more of a bitter tone as he froze Ichiya's head, and the short man was yelling "MEN!" into the ice. Lyon Vastia then threw him back at the group.

In the time since he had left Galuna Island, Lyon switched to a less imposing, yet still showy attire. He sported a white jacket reaching down below his waist, distinguished by large, dark fur trimmings around the neck and cuffs, together with similarly dark belts circling each of his arms, one above his elbow, and another above his furry cuff. Below this jacket, Lyon wore a high-collared tunic reminiscent of his old one, but much shorter, just reaching down to his waist, and colored extremely dark purple, with lighter purple edges. The most distinctive piece of his outfit at the time were his pants, which appeared to be composed of snakeskin, with a pair of dark belts circling his thighs and an intricate dark pattern adorning the front of each leg, this consisting of many rounded, rhomboidal figures linked together, each possessing a smaller figure in its center. Lyon's pants were held up by a simple light belt with a plain rectangular buckle, and his outfit was completed by simple dark shoes with lighter soles.

"Lyon?" Gray asked, looking very surprised to see that he had taken his advice of joining a Guild.

"Hmpf, a pleasure to see you again Gray. Don't tell me you're still walking around half naked all the time." Lyon asked in a mocking tone.

Lucy was looking at the strange sight as they both had a reunion, failing to notice that someone behind them had cast a Spell and the carpet beneath her started attacking her and quickly literally swept her off of her feet. "Tell me Lucy, are you surprised to see me again? This is my love greeting from me to you." A female voice from behind called her and alongside Lyon came Sherry Blendy. She had changed too, and her hair became loose, with her bangs falling freely over her head, and she wears a pink dress with black trimmings.

Lucy just stared at her and let out a sigh of resignation. "Yeah, I don't think I could forget a creepy person like you." She stated as she got up again.

Sherry chuckled out of amusement. "Is that so, or are you jealous of my love for Lyon?" She taunted her.

"That's crazy!" Lucy shouted in protest, with Rex filling in Locke about what happened on Galuna Island.

"MEN!" Ichiya shouted from within the ice, much of the sound being filtered out.

They continued bickering for a moment until a loud male voice rang out through the whole room. "That is enough!" Following Lyon and Sherry came a tall, bald, heavily muscular man with a pair of black oval shaped marks above his eyes and two similar looking marks appeared where a mustache would normally have gone. His clothes looked like that of an ancient priest from a lost civilisation.

His chest was bare and was only covered by a pair of dark belts crossing diagonally and around his neck he donned a short mantle, covered in horizontal blue and white stripes and sporting edges decorated by numerous short, yellow strings hanging from it. On his arms were tight-fitting green armbands almost reaching up to his shoulders, seemingly made from the skin of a reptile. Around his waist there was a long loincloth, held up by a simple belt and sporting a motif composed of several arcs, with a single spot in each of their concave part and simple decorations. The loincloth was fur-lined and decorated in a similar fashion to his boots.

"Of course Jura-san." Lyon spoke up and then relaxed himself.

"So that's Iron Rock Jura." Ren noted.

"We mustn't fight between us, let us not forget our prime directive. Any arguments can be settled afterwards." He stated in a neutral tone, though his presence was more than enough to put everyone back in line and by that time, Ichiya had managed to free his head from the block of ice and was standing with a stoic look on his face.

Rex let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "Finally, someone to put back some order into this." He said out loud with relief, in spite of the fact that he had thrown Ichiya towards the doors. Considering the circumstances warranting that though, nobody was going to blame him for it.

"It is an honour to have Jura Neekis of the Ten Wizard Saints here to accompany us in the battle." Ichiya remarked, making the delegates from Fairy Tail all look at him in surprise. "His strength will play a vital role in the task ahead, men!" He shouted suddenly and made almost everyone jump.

_Another Wizard Saint? That means I've encountered three of them since I got here, though thankfully I don't have to fight this one. _Rex thought with some amusement and nodded in agreement with Ichiya. Then he remembered the other two Wizard Saints he had fought, though not out of fondness.

"Please, do not speak of my power that way. Compared to the likes of Makarov and the others I am the weakest of the Ten Wizard Saints." Jura stated modestly.

_This guy… is someone I'd like to see in Fairy Tail. _Rex thought then realised he had insulted himself in the process. "Still though, the fact that you are one of them is a testament to your strength is it not?" He asked cunningly.

Jura looked at Rex openly with some surprise at how perceptive he was in asking that question. "Indeed, but that has come as a result of all of the wok I have done. In a fraction of that time it would appear that you have done just as much, if not more Rex-dono. For someone of your age to save the Guild on several occasions is no mean feat in itself." He pointed out to him and Garchomp and Erza were both surprised to see Jura refer to him in such a way.

Rex felt himself getting redder from embarrassment. "I certainly don't deserve that… I'm just…" To the others it looked like he was lost for words, though to the few people inside the building who knew why he had been sent here there was something different going on all together. From the depths of his mind came the whisper of something, faint and muzzled. But it was accompanied with a familiar feeling. "Please just call me Rex." He asked of Jura.

Jura nodded in a sign of respect and then looked at all of the members present, doing a quick head count. "There are supposed to be representatives from four Guilds. I only count three of them, so where are the representatives from Cait Shelter?" He asked and the other members began looking round to, realising that the Wizard Saint was right.

Garchomp picked up when she heard a noise from outside and i wasn't long before Lucy noticed. "Someone is coming this way." She announced with certainty.

There were a few skeptical looks, and some of surprise at seeing a dragon amongst their group (namely Lyon and Sherry, Jura looked intrigued at her announcement), and they all looked towards the entrance. Natsu was the first after he started to hear the sound of light footsteps as someone ra quickly into the main area of Bob's Palace.

Rex looked on in shock as he saw a short girl with long blue hair entered and then tripped on the floor letting out a small, high pitched cry out of pain. _That… seriously? I can't believe it! _He thought as Wendy picked herself up and then looked around at all of the members gathered. "Wendy?" Was the first question he asked.

She picked herself up and the brushed herself down and then looked at Rex first. "Oh, I didn't know you were here too Rex. I'm sorry for being late everyone. My name is Wendy Marvell." She introduced herself to the rest of the group and Natsu looked at her, wondering where he had heard that name before.

"Is that supposed to be all of the representatives from the Cait Shelter Guild? But the only sent one, and she's just a kid!" Lyon looked at Wendy in disbelief.

"They're only sending one person to represent Cait Shelter?" Sherry asked, wondering how on Earth Land one Guild could have so much faith to send only one member. They were either very bold or very stupid to send one person.

Wendy gave a timid bow to the group again. "I know that it may seem strange… but I use support magic that can be very helpful." She explain rather hesitantly and then gave another bow.

Rex gave a shrug. "Relax, there is no shame in it. After all I can use plenty of… Support Spells with my branch of Magic and they are a lot more useful than one would expect." He hesitated before saying Support Spells and tried to think about the best possible way to say status moves without giving away what he was doing in the meantime whilst he was here. "I could name them all but we'd probably be stuck here for days."

The delegates from the other three Guilds looked at him with looks of surprise on their faces. Rex knew that they were all thinking just how many of these support spells he could actually use, and to be perfectly honest even he didn't exactly know how many of them he could use right at the moment. If he estimated it would be within the 3 figure mark somewhere, and definitely the lower half.

Another female voice announced herself to the Allied Forces. "You all really shouldn't jump to conclusion like that! Did you expect that the Child would come alone?" The voice belonged to a small white cat with pink ears and brown eyes, as well as two whiskers on each cheek. She was wearing a mustard yellow and pink top with a pink bow tie and a pink skirt.

Wendy turned around to look at her companion. "Oh Carla, did you follow me all the way here?" She asked with a slight gasp of surprise.

"Naturally child, did you expect anything else?" Carla said in an uppity tone.

Happy was standing still, unsure about how to react to this new member joining the Allied Forces and then came to the simple conclusion and then fell in love with Carla. "I… I… I don't know what I should do! Should I ask her up close or should make it slow and subtle?" He wondered out loud and then approached Carla. "Um… hi. My name is Happy." He introduced himself and Carla merely looked away from him.

Lucy then put on a mischievous glee as she walked up to Happy and then leaned right next to him. "It looks like the cat gets a taste of his own medicine. You're in love." She teased with a smirk.

"It's not cool if you end up doing it now you know!" Happy retorted angrily.

Meanwhile the Trimens had taken notice of Wendy and had now set up a couch for her to sit on as well, much to the displeasure of not only Carla but also Rex as they all fawned over her. "A young child, one who has certainly come a long way from their home. Take a break and let your worries just muscle relax." Hibiki said in a seductive tone and Wendy looked at him in shock and wasn't sure how to reply.

Her answer came in the form of Carla who had taken it upon herself to get her out of this mess. "Are three young men really trying to harass a child, can't you see that she is feeling distressed and doesn't want to be around you like that?" She scolded the two of them.

"Are you seriously trying to do this on a little girl of all people? Lucy is one thing but this is something else!" Rex shouted angrily and looked like he was about to attack them. After seeing the way that Rex had disposed of Ichiya, all of the Trimens decided to wisely back down and the couch set up for Wendy disappeared as quickly as it came.

Meanwhile, Jura and Ichiya had paid close attention now and they were focusing more on Wendy. They were also both of them to first notice that there was something wrong aside from Rex. "Ichiya-dono, can you sense some sort of extraordinary power coming from the young girl?" Jura asked the stout man.

"Indeed, it would appear that this girl can use some form of Lost Magic. If so then perhaps the decision to only send her would be a wise one. Men." Ichiya remarked with a nod.

Rex also began to think more about Wendy and Erza had also noticed the look on his face. It was that knowing look he used when figuring something out and being on the cusp of knowing. _Her presence… at first I wasn't sure of what it was but now I realise that I do know why. It's the same feeling that I got from Natsu, Gajeel and more recently Laxus. Is she a Water Dragon Slayer? _Rex thought and turned to face Erza, giving her a small nod of confirmation.

"Men, let us gather around and listen as I explain everything." Ichiya stated as he laid out a small square and stepped in it, striking a pose.

_I hope we don't have to watch through interpretive dancing. _Rex and Gray thought with a bead of sweat rolling down their heads.

"...Right after I go pee." Ichiya said and then ran out of the room quickly.

Lucy groaned. "Did we really have to know that?" She asked rhetorically.

It took Ichiya somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes to get to the bathroom and come backwards and when he did he decided to not dance, much to the relief of everyone. "Now that I have refreshed my perfume we can get down to the matter at hand." Ichiya stated and drew both of his hands behind his back. "Not far from here is a large forest known as the Worth Woodsea, and in it is believed that a powerful Magic known as Nirvana lies there."

"Nirvana, what exactly is it?" Rex asked.

"Men, unfortunately that remains a mystery but what we do know is that the Oración Seis are after it, and that can only be bad news. We have to stop them from finding it." Ichiya admitted and was sweating nervously.

Rex began thinking for a moment and then began to put two and two together. "From the sounds of it, Nirvana is a weapon and a very powerful one at that." He had an almost distant look on his eyes and that became one of surprise as he remembered something drastic. "It's like the story of the weapon that was used in Kalos nearly 3000 years ago…"

There was a look of surprise from most of the group surrounding them and Wendy was almost looking like she was going to inquire about what Rex had just said. Hibiki was the only one who looked nervous at the fact that Rex had made such a deduction. "What do you mean about this weapon that you are referring to Rex?" Jura asked.

Rex snapped out of his thought and started explaining the story about a king thousands of years ago who loved a Pokemon (though he called it a creature known as Floette) that he had loved a lot. But then a war broke out and the Floette went away to fight in the war as well, and to make things worse for the king Floette died. Out of grief after receiving the body of his partner he worked on a device that would later be known as the ultimate weapon, and the purpose of it was to restore the Floette back to life. It was a success but his grief still plagued him and it became a weapon that ended the war, killing many others. Horrified by the actions of the king, the Floette left him and at the same time he was cursed with an extended life and began wandering the world for all the time since.

"Whether or not they reunited is for anyone to guess, but I hope so." Rex finished and stood looking around at all the amazed faces of the group behind them, and there was complete silence even from the likes of Ichiya and Natsu who were looking in a mixture of horror and disgust.

"But why would you hope for him to be reunited with his friend?" Natsu asked loudly.

"Just because Natsu. His punishment was to walk the Earth for 3 millennia. That is worse than death, seeing everything change and living for a very long time." Rex explained and Natsu frowned, trying to get the idea through his head. "So, who exactly are the Oración Seis?" He asked.

Hibiki then conjured up a yellow screen in the air with a keyboard on it. "This is a rare type of Magic known as Archive. It can be used to store and transfer information using Magic." He explained and six yellow rectangular screens appeared in front of the Allied Forces and six images of the target group appeared.

The first was that of a tanned slim male with tanned, spiked up maroon hair and a pair of bangs fell down on his face and slit like purple eyes. "Cobra, and he is always accompanied by a large snake."

The second man was a tall, long faced person with yellow hair spiked upwards in a mohawk style. He wore a pair of sleek glasses on his face with a pair of large jutted eyebrows. "Racer, and judging by his name we can assume that he uses some forme of Speed Magic." Both Lyon and Gray glared at the face of Racer.

On the screen next to Racer was the face of the tallest man in the group that looked strangely geometrical and he had long flowing orange hair. "This member goes by the name Hoteye, and he wipes out entire armies just for money." He continued and Jura looked at him with contempt.

On the bottom left screen appeared the image of the only female member of the Oración Seis and she had a small stature with pale skin, brown eyes and short cut silvery hair. On her head was a horizontal blue ribbon tied up on both sides of her head. "Angel, don't let her appearance deceive you, she's just as ruthless as the rest of them."

The bottom right hand screen presented a picture of a lean and somewhat effeminate young man with spiky black hair and longer straight white hair on the bottom and had blank red eyes. "Midnight, though for whatever reason we don't have much information on him." Hibiki noted with some concern though based on what he said that didn't make it anymore helpful.

In the middle of the bottom screen stood the final member of the Oración Seis, and like Cobra was a dark skinned male who had neat silver hair that reached his shoulders and something else stood out about him as well, across his face, and going down to his body were dark markings. "And their leader, Brain. All six of these Mages are really powerful, and under no circumstances should you go into a fight one on one." Hibiki stated warningly.

Ichiya took over again. "Indeed, so our mission is to find the Oración Seis base of operations and defeat all of them, men. With the help of our Magic Bomber: Christina, we can give them a one way ticket to oblivion!" Ichiya concluded rather loudly.

"Isn't that overkill?" Lucy asked and she was sweating nervously.

"In a time like this, lethal force is not above us." He added in a serious tone and several other members of the Alliance, mainly those from Fairy Tail gave a look that said they were reluctant.

"Can I vote to leave now?" Lucy raised her hand, shaking again.

"M-me too, I don't want to do this!" Wendy agreed with her protest.

Carla wasn't having anything of it. "You can't simply back out of it as this stage child." She reprimanded her.

Natsu grinned as they all finished the plan. "All right, now that we know what we need to know I'm gonna kick their asses!" He shouted before running off and leaving everyone in the dust.

When it cleared, everyone took a moment to realise what Natsu had really done before Rex had groaned and a golden aura flared around him. "Flaming idiot, this is why he shouldn't go with us in future. I'll get him." Rex sighed as he growled and then took off using Quick Attack, going at roughly double the speed of your average Ninjask.

"What on earth is that flaming idiot thinking about, running away like that?" Gray asked out loud and then began running after the pair of them and mainly to catch up with both Rex and Natsu. "Come on Lucy, we gotta catch up before it's too late!" He shouted at her and Lucy quickly followed after him. Then came Erza, Locke and most of the remaining Allied Forces followed suit, eventually leaving Jura and Ichiya together alone.

"Come along child, we have to catch up with the rest of those foolish allies." Carla stated rather harshly to Wendy and the two were the last of the group to depart as they followed the three younger members of the Trimens.

Jura began to follow the dozen members of the Guild and was then stopped upon the orders of Ichiya. "Wizard Saint Jura, please wait here. I wanted to say something to you before we depart." Ichiya added and reached a hand for the test tubes that were on him. "First things first, I must admit I am more than a little surprised at Rex's intelligence, and with such a strong perfume."

Jura thought for a moment before responding. "Indeed, a person befitting of the nickname Guardian Fairy. He is but a young man and yet he speaks with decades of his experience." He acknowledged and then noticed that Ichiya had something in his hand.

"Men." Ichiya said with a grin and then released a yellow misty perfume and then Jura felt something running through himself and the tall bald Wizard Saint fell down to one knee. Jura then tried to say something but felt his spirit being weakened. "This particular perfume forces one to lose their fighting spirit. **Pain Perfume.**" 'Ichiya' chanted and his voice began being distorted.

The next test tube released a red mist that made Jura feel an intense pain and then they made a strange noise and they transformed back into two separate entities that looked very similar. Both of them were small blue humanoids with round beady eyes and a diagonal belt on them, and both of them also wore pants. The differences were that their mouths were shaped differently, their pants were coloured differently.

"Man, copying that guy was stinky." The female one stated, and her name was Mimi. She wore black pants and her mouth were shaped like an arrow pointing upwards.

"Yeah, he's a real pervert, not someone I would like to copy." The male twin Gemi added, and he had a mouth shaped like a v and wore orange pants.

Angel then came into the room and then laughed. "Incapacitating that short pervert was really easy." She smirked and a wail came from the bathroom, as Ichiya began crying. He had been defeated when Angel had smacked him hard with a piece of the urinal. "And thanks to Gemi and Mimi, I know all of your plans. 2 down, 12 to go." She smirked at Jura who was rapidly losing his strength.

* * *

**Elsewhere, with Natsu**

When Natsu had taken off of from the Palace, he ran in a straight line and had a determined look on his face and eventually found himself getting lost. This was mainly down to the fact that he was passing row after row of trees with very little difference between them all and was also shouting rather loudly, which made it easier for a certain Trainer who was pursuing him. "All right you Dark Guild freaks where are you?!" Natsu roared as he finally came to a stop and then began looking around.

The wind then whistled and died down suddenly and then Natsu looked backwards and expected someone to come from behind. He certainly got his wish, though it was in a more unexpected way as he heard the shouting of Rex Vermend. "You better get back here this instance Natsu or you'll be in big trouble!"

Screaming out of fear Natsu then began to run faster than he had previously done so, though it was an ill fated attempt as Rex was easily on par with a Ninjask at double speed and closed the gap between them within seconds and Natsu found himself lifted up into the air and then he began struggling and pleading with his voice at the same time. "Geez Natsu, could you at least ASK before running off?" Rex complained.

It wasn't long before the rest of the group caught up with Gray and Lucy being the first two people to join them, followed shortly by the rest of the Fairy Tail Guild and then the members of the other Guild all caught up as well, and Garchomp flew in from above.

"Sheesh Natsu, are you seriously going to do that every time we face a new threat?" Gray scowled at him.

"Why not you popsicle? It's worked for me in the past so why not?" He protested, and then got a Karate Chop to the head courtesy of Rex.

"You freaking idiot! That's not how it works!" Rex shouted angrily and Natsu got a lot of disapproving looks from the rest of the group. "Now what are we going to do? Whatever plan that we were going to take had been scuppered thanks to you." He said this specifically towards Natsu.

The salmon haired Mage gulped a guilty look on his face and then Garchomp looked around the group and then made an announcement. "So is this Christina thing the horse like machine I saw whilst flying all the way over here." She pointed out and then a large shadow began passing over the group and all of them looked upwards.

They saw a ship made almost entirely of metal from the outside based on a mythological creature known as Pegasus. The fore section of the ship looked just like the head of a horse with like blue spikes coming out of the back of it, and it was accompanied by a pair of massive, flat wings consisting of five elongated plates. The hull itself was covered with four flat oval cannons that each featured a large red Lacrima that was used to fire the bombs from above. Said Lacrima was in the centre of a line of round green plates that would fire smaller blasts of energy.

"Yes, that is the Magical Bomber: Christina, this thing has enough firepower to deal massive damage to the Oración Seis." Hibiki stated and then looked up and saw a glint of light from above. "What's that?"

A round white orb began to fall from the sky, visible against the blue colour and then a White Seal appeared as it split into half a dozen smaller white orbs and began exploding as soon as they hit Christina, and that made everyone look on in surprise. Another group of explosions rippled through Christina, and this was rounded off by an extra large explosions and everyone watched as it began to fall down from the sky.

"Who did that?" Lucy asked and they all began running towards the edge of the cliff where they saw it falling down below and then it went up a large and brilliant explosion.

Natsu then began sniffing the air and growled, "We've got company." As a group of seven figures appeared from the smoke. Six of them were identifiable, with the seventh being a complete mystery. From right to left it went Cobra, Racer, Brain, Angel, Midnight, Hoteye and several feet to the left of Hoteye stood the robed form of Kelsier, his Voice Modification Lacrima back on.

Racer had a reduced Glasgow smile and was wearing a red and white racing suit. The jacket, which is predominantly red in color, with white parts on top of the shoulders and on the sleeves. The Guild Mark was printed on the back of the jacket. The suit's pants are white in color and quite loose, held up by a belt circling his waist, which in itself closed by a large button similar to the one on his jacket's collar. He was also wearing a pair of white gloves with red fingers.

Cobra's outfit consisted of a plain white coat with a lightish blue edge and on each of the upper arms of the coat was a dark blue armband with a red jewel in the middle and a few silver markings around that. He also sports a pair of crimson leather pants held up by a studded belt, with more similar belts circling diagonally the upper parts of his legs, and simple brown shoes. Accompanying him was a large serpent with violet scales and a light underbelly and green eyes with black pupils. Hidden from all of them were a pair of bat like wings.

Brain's markings also ran throughout his body and on the chest was the mark of the Oración Seis. He was wearing an outfit that was vaguely reminiscent of the Magic Council, and a long white robe flowed out from behind him with a pair of yellow rings around his shoulders and there were loose blue sleeves that covered most of his arms, with a pair of white circles at the end. The outline of the robe was decorated with dark fur trimmings. He wore a pair of tied up blue jeans with a light blue line on each of them going down and light fur trimmings spiralled around it twice before fading into his dark blue boots.

In his right hand he wielded a staff that had a skull on the top carrying a Lacrima in the jaw and part of the top was covered in a bandage. Down the sides were two strings that ended in two blue beads, and there were a combination of leaves and feathers that decorated the head.

Angel certainly looked the part of one, and wore a pair of long blue gloves that extended to near her elbow (but not quite) and she wore a white outfit that showed off her upper body and behind it was a pair of white feathery wings. The dress was also made out of feathers, and she wore a pair of dark blue tights that matched her gloves. Her shoes were a very light blue and had a ruff around the ankle.

Midnight wore a spiked bracelet on both wrists and on the right upper arm was a white ribbon tied just beneath his crimson Guild Mark. He was wearing a black sleeveless jacket that was also fur lined, though it was neater and shorter compared to Brain's. His yellow and black striped jeans were held together by a white belt tied up at the left and they were also tucked into his brick red boots.

Hoteye stood behind Midnight and around his neck he wore a necklace made of large red beads and was wearing an outfit not unlike that of a priest and in his hand carried a book. Just beneath the white area that covered his shoulders and a part of the upper body was a golden eye with a purple pupil. At the end of the outfit on the sleeves was a dirty yellow stripe with a purple diamond pattern and he wore wide red trousers and white long socks that went down to his black shoes.

"So are they the ones who did this?" Gray asked and glared at them.

"They look even scarier up close." Lucy whimpered and Wendy nodded in agreement.

"So what's that guy's problem over there?" Locke asked and pointed to the almost completely robed figure looking his way, and also because Rex was standing right next to Locke as well.

Cobra chuckled. "I can hear it, their growing anger and confusion. It's funny to see how you're trying to work out how we downed your airship." He stated out loud and heard a large hissing noise from just above. "What's wrong Cubellios?" He asked and then turned to face Garchomp suddenly and listen specifically to her. It took several moments for him to realise the implications of what she had said. _I can't believe that thing's a dragon, though it doesn't look the ones that used to roam the world!_ He thought and scowled back at her.

"That would be my dragon if you're curious." Rex spoke up and Cobra turned to face him. _And you'll be damned if you even so much as lay a finger on her. _He thought, and Cobra heard that as well. Cubellios began hissing and in response Garchomp let out a low growl.

Racer turned his head slightly to face Cobra. "It doesn't matter what they try to do remember? If they can't keep up with me then they'll all be blown away by by my Speed Magic." He said and Cobra smirked again like before.

"Is that a challenge?" Natsu growled and punched a hand into his palm. "Because I'm all fired up now!"

"Let's go Natsu!" Gray shouted and they all began running towards the group.

Brain snorted in contempt. "This is supposed to be an alliance of light Guilds? Defeat those insects." He stated to his Guild, and the only one not making a move was Kelsier, as for him it certainly wasn't the right time yet to get involved in things.

"I'll be so fast you won't even know what hit you! **Motor!**" Racer shouted and then disappeared in the blink of an eye before reappear maybe twice or three times before jumping into the air upside down and then rotated, beating everything in the space with his legs.

"You idiots!" rex shouted and then began running forwards.

"Natsu!" Both Lucy's shouted before turning to face each other and looking on in confusion. "What the?" They both spoke at the same time and then the fake Lucy took out her whip and began attacking Lucy multiple times with delight.

"Let's help out Sherry. **Ice Make: Eagle!**" Lyon chanted and then began sending a flock of birds made out of ice towards the Oración Seis.

"Of course my love. **Mud Doll!**" Sherry cried and a giant doll made of mud rose out from the ground.

For them it was Hoteye who took them out rather quickly. "Your attacks mean nothing against my **Liquid Ground! **Oh yeah!" He cried and extended out a hand, and as an orange Seal appeared both Lyon and Sherry felt the ground beneath them turn to sludge and they were caught up in a vortex of mud. Both of them tried to grab each others hand as they were being sucked in by it.

Rex was running straight for his first target, which was naturally being Racer and reasoned that he could match that guy's speed with his own and then stopped suddenly and looked around and he saw multiple images of Racer circling him with an amused grin. _Focus… there!_ Rex thought with a grin and then turned round to deal a Mach Punch with the Fist Plate and promptly nailed Racer in the stomach.

Racer flew backwards and felt a tree smash into his backside. Getting up though he looked on at Rex in surprise. "No way! No one has ever stopped me before!" He shouted before dashing forwards again and delivered a powerful blow to Rec from behind, though it wasn't powerful enough to make him fall to the ground.

Not that Racer really cared for it as he felt his pride being wounded by actually being stopped by Rex Vermend so early on. As he continued his assault on the Guardian, Brain watched on in surprise as he saw the hit to miss ratio being roughly 50/50 and began to wonder. _He was able to predict Racer's movement like that and then strike a blow hard enough to actually stop him. It would appear that Kelsier wasn't lying about his strength. _Brain thought.

After recovering from Racer's attack, Natsu looked to see that Midnight wasn't really getting into the fight at all and he got really annoyed. "You're not supposed to sleep in the middle of a fight, **Fire Dragon's Roar!**" Natsu cried out and launched it from a close range but then watched in disbelief as it went around Midnight and destroyed a chunk of the rock beside him. "Come out and face me!" He shouted.

Noticing that Natsu was about to attack Midnight, Racer delivered a two footed kick at left side of Rex and he lost his balance. This gave him ample time to attack Natsu and send him flying. "You seriously don't wanna wake up Midnight pal!" Racer spat at him.

Then Rex launched his own attack in the form of a Thunder Punch and connected at the reinforced chin guard that was connected to his glasses. The two of them were sent crashing into another tree, and then disappeared in a blur.

Cobra was about to help out Racer but heard the voice of Erza Scarlet equipping two swords in her hands and she began attacking him. "It doesn't matter where you attack me from." He stated and dodged them all, much to Erza's surprise. Anticipating that she would attack in a cross formation Cobra then used both of his hands to block a sword each and they held it in a struggle.

What he heard next was a surprise and heard several brief flashbacks to the Tower of Heaven. _She was there as well?! _Cobra thought for a moment and blocked several more strikes and Erza moved backwards, putting some space between the two of them and she then Requipped into her Heaven's Wheel Armour.

Erza then summoned an array of swords from above and Cobra moved slightly to the right as they all fell down with not a single one harming him. _What? How is he able to tell where my swords will appear? _She thought with frustration. "**Blumenblatt!**" She called out and rushed towards her target.

Cobra merely smirked as he waited for the right time to deliver a powerful kick in the upper left part of Erza's body, throwing her off balance and making her unable to go through with her Spell. "I already told you I can hear your inner voice. You're getting frustrated and angry, mixed in with confusion. Cubellios!" He called out and the snake then lunged for Erza.

Then all three of them heard a snarl from Garchomp as she locked her fins in and tackled the large serpent, crashing through several trees before unleashing a Fire Blast at Cubellios. Garchomp was surprised to see her using a pair of bat like wings to fly in the air and the snake let out a loud hiss of disapproval towards. "Well I hate you too!" Garchomp growled in reply though she didn't really know what Cubellios was actually saying.

Kelsier looked at the Trimens to see that Racer was trying to get them too but Rex wasn't letting him get near and blocking his path. "Guess that means I'm taking care of these posers." He said to himself and fired a white orb at the Trimens that split into six smaller ones. All of them exploded on contact and half of them even managed to find a member. Hibiki was lucky enough not to get a bomb directly onto him but the force of three of them blew him backwards.

"Who the hell are you?" Hibiki demanded.

Kelsier snorted with amusement. "None of your business unfortunately." He shouted back at him and then stopped as an arrow made of Magic Energy pierced the ground right in front of him and he looked up to see Locke with his Silver Bow in hand. "You do seem like you could give a decent fight at least." He remarked and his hands twitched in amusement.

"You weren't on one of the monitors, so I doubt you're a part of the Oración Seis." Locke assessed and raised his bow, cocking it at him.

Kelsier smirked underneath the mask and the goggles seemed to shine in amusement. He raised his arms, accepting the challenge that Locke had presented him with and then saw a single Rocket Shot fire his way. Moving his arm in an arc, a red orb appeared in front of him and as soon as the arrow went inside it it imploded and a wave of fire could be seen within the shield. "Nice try, though you can't get past my Implosion Shield." Kelsier complimented and looked unfazed.

Locke grunted in annoyance and then moved his bow to both sides as he fired several more Rocket Shots and they all arced towards Kelsier, but two more rather large red orbs appeared a foot in front of him to the side of the first one and they both also exploded.

"Surprised? This is a defensive style Spell, so good luck breaking through!" Kelsier grinned underneath the mask, and since his Voice Modification Lacrima was on it sounded distorted **(A/N: Think the Arkham Knight pre reveal)**, so there was no way Locke could get anything else out of him.

Going on the offensive, Kelsier fired another white Orb at Locke, but he had the common sense to take the initiative and began to dash towards the mysterious stranger and then Locke separated his bow into two separate dagger. Kelsier recognized that move, having been watching the whole Battle of Fairy Tail from afar. _This person definitely knows his Magic. He could make for an interesting recruit. _He thought inwardly with a smirk.

"**Cross Slash!**" Locke cast and then charged forwards.

Kelsier jumped up into the air and almost immediately afterwards fired a cluster of smaller white orbs at Locke and they all hit him directly on the body and the brown haired Mage let out a cry of pain as all six of them pounded his back. Landing next to him, Kelsier picked his body up and then placed a hand on Locke's body. "**Force Blast.**" He called out and a sudden blast of Magic Energy pushed Locke backwards and sent him directly into an injured Gray.

"Oh yeah! **Liquid Ground!**" Hoteye shouted out loud and then a large orange Seal appeared and the Trimens were swamped with muddy earth, all of whom were being sucked in like quicksand. "Nothing cannot be achieved with money, oh yeah!" He added with a creepy grin on his face as Angel had defeated Lucy with her two floating friends.

Erza looked onwards defiantly at Cobra and then summoned a number of swords around her. "Dance my blades, **Circle Sword!**" She chanted as a spinning disc like formation was sent out. Cobra dodged it just like she expected and she then attacked him several times from the side, managing to land a hit this time.

Cobra got back up easily though, and looked impressed with what Erza had managed to do. "Not bad Titania, but it's going to take a lot more than that!" He added, though heard voices coming from over where Cubellios and Garchomp were fighting and looked over. _Damn, that dragon is really annoying, and Racer is struggling as well against Vermend. _He thought.

Speaking of Racer and Rex, they were both going faster than almost everyone could keep up with and the latter was doing that with a mere Quick Attack. The only real exception was Cobra as he could hear the inner voices of both of them. When the pair of them ever did appear was when they clashed with each other creating a brief shockwave from the force of things.

"Your speed is something to admire, but at this rate neither of us are going to get anywhere." Racer stated as they both appeared again and faced each other in a standoff. Rex didn't say anything but merely gave a smile in reply, before scowling at Racer again and the two of them suddenly disappeared again.

Brain began to think for a minute about Rex Vermend. _This person of the light, he's the most troublesome of them all. If he can match Racer in speed then maybe he could take out all of the Oración Seis. And if that isn't even him at his fastest… _Brain thought, and looked a mixture of impressed and disturbed by what he was seeing. "Cobra, Hoteye! Ignore everyone else and focus on the Guardian Fairy!" He shouted out loud.

"Sure thing boss." Cobra smirked before dodging another blow from Erza, who had regain some of her lost strength when she heard Brain's orders. "This just got interesting." He added and delivered a powerful punch at Erza and she was forced backwards again and then ran towards where Racer and Rex Vermend whilst Hoteye merely turned away from the rest of the Alliance.

Cubellios then attacked Garchomp with a powerful whip of her tail but was met with an Iron Tail as Garchomp pivoted on the spot. A purple tail was met with a silver tail and the resulting clash pushed a flying Cubellios backwards a bit, though she used her wings to steady herself from the resulting wind and then dodged to to side as Garchomp then fired a Stone Edge at them. The serpent was lucky to avoid the barrage of stones too as they would dealt a critical hit.

"You're not getting away this easily!" Garchomp snarled as she locked her fins in place again and flew into the air with Dragon Rush, this time taking the form of a blue dragon as opposed to a blue spiral of energy.

Cubellios heard Cobra calling out for her and she flew away somewhat reluctantly, because she wanted to finish the fight with the blue dragon. Another call for help came and she flew with surprising speed to Garchomp, who had done a loop de loop after missing her again. "This can't be good." She hummed in midair and pursued Cubellios, firing an occasional Fire Blast at her just to keep her on her toes.

Hearing what Rex was about to do to Racer, Cobra looked on in surprise. "Racer, he's going to come from the left and then attack from the right!" He barked out loud.

Racer heard for sure but only saw the image of Rex closing on him and was then grabbed from the front and then spun to the side 360 before being slammed back first onto the ground. Rex had just used Vital Throw and all the warnings given by Cobra in the world meant nothing as Vital Throw was a move that always hit, even if it did go last. There was a stunned look on Racer's face as he got up. _Damn, this is not good at all. _He thought.

"His Magic looks like it's worth a fortune, I can practically smell the money! Oh yeah!" Hoteye looked on in awe before casting Liquid Ground and Rex was flung up in the air from the sudden force of the Spell. It did little to stop him though and he switched to the Sky Plate and began flying in the air above them. "Such an incredible Take Over, oh yeah!" Hoteye admired.

Looking around, Cobra saw Cubellios flying towards him and was also not pleased to see that the large blue dragon accompanying Rex was also behind her and reducing the distance between them. "You two deal with that pesky dragon creature and I'll take Vermend along with Cubellios!" Cobra ordered, with Angel, Brain and a sleeping Midnight watching.

"I hope you plan on not doing any grievous harm to Rex Vermend as it would make my life a lot more difficult." Kelsier stated with a touch of concern, noting the expression on the face of Cobra.

Garchomp looked on as Racer and Hoteye swiftly approached her and she then fired a Stone Edge to which Racer dodged them all. Hearing an "Oh yeah!" from Hoteye she was surprised to see that the attacked she had just used softened considerably and the all formed a ring made out of rock and earth that surrounded her mid body and then she fell on the ground suddenly.

"That attack is too slow, I don't think you could ever match me!" Racer declared somewhat arrogantly and and then began delivering a number of blows to her in the space of a single second. Though all them were pretty hard punches her tough scales definitely lessened the impact of each of them.

It was the speed which shocked her more than anything and she considered using Dragon Dance briefly and decided not to. "This thing won't keep me trapped for long!" Garchomp shouted somewhat defiantly and her claws, as well as the fins they were connected to glowed a bright blue and she broke free using Dragon Claw.

Hoteye looked surprised at this. "Even though his looks for a dragon are unusual, it might be just as valuable as the Magic this Guardian Fairy uses!" He thought with a sadistic smirk on his face.

"I'm female!" Garchomp shouted, offended.

Racer gave Hoteye a funny look. "When don't you think about money?" He asked, annoyed and then began striking Garchomp as she tried to attempt to fly up in the air again to join Rex. "You're not getting away that fast, **Motor!**" He called out again and laid a barrage of kicks to her side and also managed to injured himself slightly because Garchomp had cleverly held out one of her fins that was elongated with Dragon Claw.

Meanwhile, Rex was currently trying to hit Cobra using a variety of attacks with the Sky Plate and fired several Air Cutter. None of them managed to hit him or Cubellios though so he tried a direct attack and his wings glowed silver and hardened considerably. Like before he failed to hit Cobra with Steel WIng and was also getting frustrated. _Damnit, he's missed everything I threw at him so far. What do I have to do to hit him? _Rex thought.

"I can hear your thoughts you know, and the frustration in them is amusing." Cobra smirked and Cubellios let out a content hiss, satisfied that she was now back with her friend.

_If so then for future reference, my Magic is Multitype, not frigging Take Over as the fat one put it. _Rex thought and Cobra let out an amused chuckle, slightly less malicious. Then he charged forwards with an outstretched fist as he began to pull off a reel of attacks using a combination of Brick Break and Double Kick.

Cobra grinned and then stood in the air calmly. "I know what you're gonna do! You're gonna start with a blow to the head… then follow it with an uppercut and two swift kicks to the body." He stated out loud and dodged each of the attacks that he had predicted in order, ducking, moving backwards and then completing it by going from left to right.

Rex was dumbfounded and then brought back to reality on account of a powerful kick from Cobra. "Tch, I gotta go for something a bit more widespread than this." He muttered to himself.

"You seriously think you can hit me with such a wide attack?" Cobra taunted and made a signal from his hands that Rex identified as a 'come at me' one.

Rex glared a Cobra coldly as he knew exactly what move he was going to use in the current circumstances and unleashed Blizzard and the powerful wave of fast, cold ice narrowly missed Cobra as he flew upwards on Cubellios and Rex fired with his other hand, covering more ground as he did so and actually managing to get a hit in on him. Cubellios didn't like the sudden rush of cold one bit and felt her wings slowing down with the cold.

Cobra decided that in this current weather Cubellios was no good, and the howl generated by the move was also annoying him a lot and so they landed. "I guess after seeing you managed to make a hit on me like that I should get serious." He noted and then a dark red aura surrounded him and his arms transformed, donning the appearance of deep crimson scales with a cream underside.

_You're kidding right? It's not only Laxus that hid his own Dragon Slayer Magic but now Cobra? _Rex scowled inwardly and stopped to look at Cobra. "So you're a Dragon Slayer too? I thought that this sort of Magic was supposed to be rare but having already encountered nearly half a dozen I'm beginning to doubt that."

Cobra let out a laugh of amusement. "It is still a Lost Magic for certain, but since the dragon's disappeared there is no chance of getting it through natural means. Unless someone infused a Dragon Lacrima within their body." He added with a smirk and indicating himself. "Let's see how you handle my **Poison Dragon's Scales!**" He chanted as a deep red Seal appeared and began launching a volley of small dark red boomerang projectiles.

As they got closer to Rex a green shield protected him from all of them as he held his hands out and to Cobra's surprise there was an amused look on his face. _Hah, using a Poison move against me? That has got to be one of the dumbest things he's ever done, especially since I have multiple ways to completely negate it. _Rex thought.

Garchomp was now beginning to struggle against Racer and Hoteye, mainly due to the latter's Liquid Ground. Even when she was riding high in the air and escaping to escape from Racer's speed Hoteye would attack and bring her down where she would have to face the guy with the mohawk again and it was getting really tiresome. "Urk!" She let out as Racer punched her right in the stomach and in the next instant attacked with an uppercut.

"I thought this was going to be over faster than I had expected. But you're slowing down, and that means you're screwed!" Racer taunted and began attack Garchomp from behind, and he used enough force to aim for underneath the fin that was close to her head and as a result she fell over.

Hoteye made a V sign with his outstretched hand and casted Liquid Ground once more. Garchomp struggled as she was picked up by a wave of earth and then flung from one place to another, and she also began slowly sinking. She could manage another Fire Blast and then she'd be down. "Oh yeah! Like a hunter, you must weaken your target before going in for the kill!" He declared and Garchomp took the opportunity to fire.

Whilst it hit him, her weakened state wasn't doing her any favours and she felt her body dropping for a moment and then the motion started again and this time there was nothing she could do to stop it. The last thing she spotted was a white glint from the corner of her right eye and there was a volley of loud explosions and then it faded to black.

Kelsier came over and then looked on to see Racer who wasn't looking happy. "What the hell was that for?" He hissed.

Kelsier snorted. "Simple, because I want Rex and his companions he carries around with him alive. It's a part of what I want, so don't you dare off them you understand?" He explained, without having to raise his voice, and in his hand was another white orb with the warning made clear to racing. The tension in the air as the self proclaimed fastest member of the Oración Seis backed off.

Despite Garchomp weighing a lot, mainly due to her size, Kelsier managed to pick it up without straining himself too much and then threw it back with his own Force Blast at the alliance. "What a pathetic excuse for a dragon." He sneered loudly.

This was well within range of the Guardian who then turned to see what had happened and looked at the unconscious form of Garchomp. "No!" He cried out before dodging one of Cobra's attacks as he lunged out with smoking palms on his hands, not from heat but from poison.

With his enhanced hearing though, Cobra predicted where Rex was going to appear next and then cast another Spell. "**Poison Dragon's Twin Fang!**" He shouted and threw up his arms in a cross shape and two tendrils of poison assaulted Rex with a strong blunt force multiple times.

It wasn't necessarily the force of the tendrils that worried him at all but it was the agony of the burning sensation afterwards and he felt his own body weakening. _Poison Dragon Slayer… damnit Rex, pull yourself together! You should have done this sooner and not let yourself get distracted. _He thought and then managed to draw himself together to switch to the Iron Plate and don his full set of armour.

Cobra let out an amused chuckle. "Don't you know that my poison corrodes anything that it touches?" He stated out loud.

Rex also laughed, weakly at first but rapidly getting stronger. "Maybe, but where I come from steel is completely immune to poison!" He retaliated and felt the Iron Plate purge the poison from his body and got back into a fighting stance, thought his look became one of anger after seeing what had happened to Garchomp.

Thankfully for the Guardian, Erza was now by his side and ready to help him fight. "So what's the plan?" She inquired as Racer and Hoteye appeared next to Cobra.

"I can deal with Cobra and Hoteye, you can deal with Racer. I have faith in you my queen." He whispered to her and she nodded before Requipping into her Flight Armour.

Cobra looked stunned to see that the poison brought upon Rex Vermend by his Twin Fang had been completely nullified and what he heard next also completely surprised him. "You make it sound that simple, but it really isn't!" He scowled at Rex.

Racer then disappeared and Erza followed shortly in her Flight Armour and dealt a flurry of blows from the side. Despite her increased Speed she missed him and saw how agile he was, dodging all of them. "That's fast, but can you catch me?" Racer taunted her and they both began chasing each other in a blur.

_Hmm, this is taking longer than expected. Perhaps if this person was a member of the darkness his strength could be comparable to that of the other Dark Guilds. If that's the case then weakening his body and spirit will be key to extinguishing the light. _Brain mused it over and Cobra heard every word of it.

Hearing what he was going to do next Cobra dodged to the left where Rex ran into Hoteye who began using his Liquid Ground to attack Rex, and as he sunk he realised the predicament he placed himself in. "Oh yeah! Time to check in our cheque!" Hoteye sang with amusement and then swamped Rex with a blunt wave of Liquid Ground, dealing double damage as it was identified as a Ground type move toward Rex.

"It would appear that this particular Take Over form leaves you with a weakness to my Magic, oh yeah!" Hoteye spotted keenly and pointed upwards with one finger and pointed a thumb outwards. "**Pillar Ground!**" He chanted and Rex was hit by a number of pillars and sent backwards, landing not far from the others.

"**Metal Burst!**" Rex cast and fired a silver orb at Hoteye but watched as a hill of liquidised earth sprang up to take the blow, leaving a melting crater in the centre.

Natsu and Gray managed to get back up after the initial assault and saw that Rex was in trouble. "I ain't gonna let you do that to Rex!" Natsu shouted and they both charged forwards to attack Hoteye.

Hoteye looked on with a really creepy smirk on his face. "Do not underestimate the power of money for you, oh yeah!" He called out and casted Liquid Ground one last time, except that it hit everyone who wasn't and they were sent upwards in the air.

Looking around, she saw with some urgency that thinks were not looking good at all and she still couldn't land a hit on Racer, and that was thanks to Cobra who used his hearing to help Racer out. Racer appeared in front of her. "Is something the matter? Don't tell me the great Titania is getting slow already? Just when things looked like they were getting interesting?" He taunted her before dealing several blows and sending her skidding backwards on the floor.

"Now Cubellios!" Cobra smirked as the snake that had rejoined him, despite suffering a few injuries, lunged forwards at Erza who was struggling slightly to get up and promptly let out a loud cry of pain as Cubellios bit down rather hard and and she looked at Cobra, with her vision going briefly fuzzy. "I'm sorry to disappoint but the venom isn't fast acting, so you're going to enjoy it!" Cobra added.

Rex was the only one left who could still try and get up, and saw a dark purple patch on her arm and then looked on in anger at Cobra. _Shit… my injuries sustained against Hoteye are really hurting me. As soon as Erza and I both recover, I know who'll I go for first. _He thought angrily.

As Cobra looked at Rex in particular with amusement, Brain knew what had to be done. "Although this alliance of the light surprised me for a moment it was only natural that the Oración Seis would triumph." After saying this out loud he began to raise his staff and then it produced a bright green glowing light and it seemed to be gathering energy from within the ground.

"W-what is that?" Sherry muttered, and that was really all she could manage.

"That Magic… is not something good." Lyon noted, and felt the injuries he sustained from Hoteye act up again.

"Now perish. **Dark-**!" He began to cast a Spell with his raised staff and then looked on in shock.

Behind a rock were Wendy, Happy and Carla. All of them had taken shelter from the fight and were watching on in horror as every member of the Alliance had been defeated with relative ease by the efforts of the not only the Oración Seis but also the hooded stranger who took out the Trimens with only one Spell. Wendy in particular was looking at Brain with fright.

"What's the matter Brain? Just cast the spell already!" Cobra stated, Cubellios wrapped around his body and also looking at him.

"It's her." Whispered Brain with a note of awe in his voice. "The Sky Goddess."

* * *

**Whew, that's it for the first chapter of the Oración Seis Arc! How did you like it? Were you pleased by seeing more of the mysterious Kelsier and his Magic? Sorry for taking a while, but it came up with more than 16k words initially and then I had to delete an unnecessary scene. If you have an issue about the poison thing, it's because a Steel type cannot be poisoned like Poison type if you're unfamiliar.**

**Next time on Guardian Fairy - Memories of Jellal**

**The Alliance of Light have just been defeated by the Oración Seis, and what's worse is that Brain also recognises Wendy. As they begin to carry out their plan, can Rex find a way to help Erza?**


	28. Memories of Jellal

**This may be the last chapter in December due to college work, so don't be surprised if the next one comes in January, though I will try my absolute best on that account. In response to a few things in recent reviews, 1) Aggron will get more screen time soon and 2) I may or may not pair Locke with Mirajane, that's up in the air.**

**Previously on Guardian Fairy -**

**Rex: **Makarov called for an important meeting to do with the Dark Guilds and more importantly we were going to join an Alliance and help to defeat the Oración Seis! Team Natsu accompanied by Locke journeyed up North to a place owned by the Guildmaster of Blue Pegasus, where we were joined by members of said Guild, as well as Lamia Scale (who sent and even from Cait Shelter. Surprisingly they sent Wendy, though now I figured out what it is. After being briefed by one of the members of Blue Pegasus Natsu ran off, and we had to follow him. It was then that we saw Christina, only for it to get shot down by the Oración Seis who were accompanied by a figure who Locke guessed was from another Dark Guild. Long story short, we got pretty screwed up and Erza was poisoned by a snake that belonged to Cobra and Brain recognized Wendy for some reason.

* * *

**Chapter 28 - Memories of Jellal**

Behind a rock were Wendy, Happy and Carla. All of them had taken shelter from the fight and were watching on in horror as every member of the Alliance had been defeated with relative ease by the efforts of the not only the Oración Seis but also the hooded stranger who took out the Trimens with only one Spell. Wendy in particular was looking at Brain with fright.

"What's the matter Brain? Just cast the spell already!" Cobra stated, Cubellios wrapped around his body and also looking at him.

"It's her." Whispered Brain with a note of awe in his voice. "The Sky Goddess, Wendy."

"Sky Goddess?" Angel asked, raising an eyebrow. None of the other members of the Oración Seis were getting it. "Brain you're not making any sense whatsoever." She added.

Brain lowered his staff and the Magic faded. "It would appear that we are more fortunate than I expected. Seeing Wendy here makes things much easier than I had hoped." He determined and from his staff came a hand shaped tendril of Darkness Magic and then grabbed Wendy and began pulling her towards the group.

"Wendy!" Rex and Carla shouted, though the female cat was the only one in any shape to chase after her and for her size was going at a good pace, though it wasn't enough to keep up.

"Don't worry Carla, I'll help you!" Happy cried out, who was carrying a small wooden club on him and also began chasing Wendy through a different means.

"Quick child, grab my hand!" Carla shouted and Wendy reached out only to look on in horror as they saw that she had grabbed the blue hand of Happy instead, and he looked just as surprised. "You fool, you grabbed the wrong cat!" She chided and still carried on trying to get to Wendy.

Brain simply grinned at her attempts and as the pair of them came right back to the Oración Seis plus one they were enveloped in a dark green and black orb of Magic before vanishing with a pop. "As I said earlier, it is only natural that the Oración Seis would triumph. Now perish!" He called out and raised his staff again to finish gathering the Magic that he had prepared for the Spell about to be used.

"**Dark Rondo!**" He bellowed in his deep tone as a dark purple Seal appeared and fired all the condensed energy in a widespread area, though normally it would look like there was a mass of horror stricken faces on it. The Alliance all watched as it was about to hit them and Rex closed his eyes.

It was then that the Ground which had previously been used by Hoteye to attack the Alliance reformed itself to form a layer of solid rock pillars that covered everyone in the Alliance. The Dark Rondo cast by Brain pounded against the rock pillars but didn't break through a single one of them A few of them were beginning to get up as they saw Jura, pointing a finger at the space above them and was panting from the effort. "I am glad I could make it in time."

"What happened to you Jura-san?" Lyon asked, not moving from his place but looked on in surprise. Lucy and Sherry were the next ones to gain enough energy to get up, even if they weren't able to recover fully.

"I was ambushed by Angel of the Oración Seis, and they somehow managed to find out all of our plans as well." Jura admitted, and wasn't looking down. Or maybe he was, it wasn't easy to tell by the look on his face.

"But it's good to see that you're okay-" Lyon started.

"No." Jura interrupted him and Lyon stopped suddenly. "I barely made it out alive, and if weren't for Ichiya-san over here and his Pain Relieving Perfume wouldn't have made it." The Alliance looked to see that Ichiya was proudly standing beside them with a look of pride on his face.

Looking around, the small man could not see hide nor hare of the Dark Guild. "No sign of the Oración Seis, which means they must have ran away because they were afraid of our numbers." Ichiya concluded (wrongly) then struck a victory pose. "That means we win by default!"

"That's not how it works!" A shirtless Gray protested loudly, now able to stand as well.

Ichiya composed himself again and took out another test tube. "Allow the pain of the battle to wash away with this **Pain Relieving Perfume**, men." He added and they all heard a pop. This was followed by the release of a green mist that had a scent that smelt like the flowering plants found on a Venasaur.

"This scent feels so pleasant." Sherry commented.

"Yeah, and I can feel all the pain just going away blissfully." Lucy added and had a smile on her face.

There was only one person who was not affected by the Perfume and that was Erza Scarlet and she let out a cry of pain. As Rex looked around at her suddenly he quickly went to over to inspect her and saw that the purple patch on her right arm had grown in size. "Come on, don't fail me now. You're strong enough for this Erza I know it!" He muttered underneath his breath.

Natsu was concerned for someone else. "Those bastards took Happy and Wendy, I'm going after them right now!" He shouted and turned to go.

Carla stood directly in his way though, and she flying in the air with the exact same pair of wings that Happy had whenever he used his Aera. "Not right now Salamander, you haven't the foggiest of where Wendy is currently so it's no use rushing off and trying to find her. Besides, there are more pressing matters for you right now." She added and they all looked towards Rex who was crouching down next to Erza and wordless at the same time.

Looking around she saw that they were very close to the wreck of the Christina. "I dread to think about everyone who was working on that ship." Lucy noted as she saw the trail of thinning smoke, and it was much whiter than their initial encounter with the Oración Seis.

Ichiya was also looking troubled by this and looked at his open test tube. "I don't understand why this is happening. **Pain Relief Perfume INTENSIFIES!**" Ichiya declared and the aroma coming from the test tube increased suddenly and everyone felt the effect increase dramatically.

"A perfume that is supposed to relieve pain isn't going to do much good considering the state Erza is in you know." Lucy pointed out.

"Teacher's Pain Relief Perfume not only helps to get rid of the pain, but it also has a cleansing effect on harmful toxins and poisons within the body as well." Hibiki informed her and Garchomp silently admitted that it was pretty clever, even if the person in question was a womanizer.

But as they all saw, Erza's condition didn't seem to be getting any better, in fact to the Alliance it looked like she was getting worse and they all saw the purple patch on her grow slightly, with the poison seeping up through her veins and she let out another cry of pain. "Stop this and let me handle it!" Rex barked at Ichiya and gave him a quick but light Karate Chop directly on top of his head.

The sharpness of the tone caught most of them off guard with the exceptions being those from the Guild who heard his accidental announcement and everyone from Fairy Tail fell silent. "Okay, here goes. **Heal Pulse.**" He spoke and then formed a light pink orb not unlike that of Moonblast and then used it on Erza and she was bathed in pin waves of energy.

"It would seem that the friendship between Rex and Erza-dono is more than just that." Jura said quietly and looked on along with the rest of the Alliance as it looked like it only healed the damage that the poison was causing.

What was more alarming to Rex was the fact that some of the pink waves were beginning to turn purple and almost immediately he shut off the Heal Pulse and felt his own heart beat for a minute there. "No, of course that wouldn't work. Damnit Rex, think for a minute." He began and then left himself to his own thoughts. No one dared to speak up at this point.

Ichiya was looking at Jura when he had made that comment and then looked between the two of them, initially not understanding what the Wizard Saint had said and then paid more attention to the body language and what Rex was saying and then gasped suddenly and half of his face faded to blue from the shock as to what the meaning behind the comment was. "M-m-men!" He realised in that instance and then began to tremble nervously.

"Jura-san, are you saying that…" Lyon looked up at him, also piecing the puzzle together and not saying a word after that.

"Of course!" Rex shouted suddenly making everyone else jump.

Carla looked on annoyed once she had recovered from the shock. "What is it? We can't read your mind so spill the beans!" She demanded and was concerned deep down for Wendy, but knew that this was the important thing to focus on.

This time Rex's whole body began to glow a blue light and they all watched a bell appeared in the air and then Rex used Heal Bell and it rang out around them, a calm clear ringing that sounded like a smaller version of church bells could be heard within the area and Erza almost immediately began glowing in the same blue light as the one the Rex was glowing and they all watched in hope. The blue light faded around her for a moment before disappearing completely. "Damnit, I'm sure that was supposed to work. Heal Bell should've cured all of that poison." He said quietly.

Then he turned around to face everyone else. "So why didn't it?" He demanded and glared intensely towards Lucy.

She took several steps backwards and began sweating nervously. "D-don't look at me like that Rex I don't know how your Magic works." Lucy managed to squeal out and felt herself shrinking in the face of his anger.

It was Garchomp who stepped in before he could interrogate anyone else and laid a claw on his shoulder. "Please stop this Rex. Taking your anger out at the others is not going to help you get over being beaten by the Oración Seis. If we're going to fix this then we need to come up with a clear plan." She stated calmly and in a matter of fact tone as well and that helped Rex to calm down and then he turned back to face everyone, looking guilty for his outburst.

Whilst this was going on, Erza who was lying down on the ground managed to find enough strength and prop herself up against a tree but not before grabbing Lucy's belt. The Trimens let out a gasp of surprise which was met by Lucy kicking out at all three of them in anger, and Ichiya was recovering from the shock of Jura's words. Then slammed one of her swords on the ground and everyone looked at her. "The poison is still in my arm which means that with some luck we might be able to stop this form spreading a little further." She said and did her best not to think about the poison.

"What do you mean by that?" Lyon asked, narrowing his eyes.

Erza then tied the belt around her arm and made a knot on top of it. "I need one of you to take up this sword and then cut my arm off with it." She said in a serious tone and then everyone froze and looked at her as if she were crazy.

"No!" Rex shouted almost immediately in response. He wasn't the only one with objections.

There wasn't a smile on her face and it was still set in stone. "But it's the only way to do it if you can't heal me." She shot back and Rex tried coming up with an argument, only to fail and then he hung his head silently.

Lyon remained silent and slowly walked over towards the sword that was currently planted into the ground and then firmly grabbed it with one of his hands and picked it up off of the ground. "Very well then, if you insist. Everyone else should stand back." He ordered.

Naturally the first two to object to this were both Gray and Rex. "What the hell are you thinking about Lyon, we can't just cut off one of her arms!" Gray shouted.

Lyon looked at him with a sneer. "Is this because I have the guts to do what you couldn't? Is this your results of the training we both received from Ur?" He questioned.

This only stoked Rex's fires even more and he got between Lyon and Erza, switching to the Flame Plate and his red hair flaring up with his emotions. "I'm not going to let you do that Lyon. If you want to try it then you'll have to get through me first!" He declared as flames danced around his hands.

Ichiya had recovered enough to think about what Rex was currently. _Men, his devotion to Erza is like what Jura-san had said. His perfume is one that would dedicate himself to saving the life of the people he holds dear to his heart. Though I wish it were otherwise I can smell his and my Honey's perfume together. Perhaps she would be better off… _He thought and then walked between the two of the tense males and struck a pose.

"I concur with Rex Vermend, we must find another way to help my H… I mean Erza." He corrected himself, much to the astonishment of everyone else present. The Trimens and Rex in particular looked incredibly surprised at what Ichiya had just done and the latter looked on at him thoughtfully.

Carla let out a haughty huff and everyone paid attention to her. "Well now that all of you have stopped your trivial arguments I do know of a way to heal Erza's wound. But we'll have to Wendy to do so." She added.

"What's so special about Wendy?" Sherry asked and several people shot a look at her including Rex.

The young floating cat sighed and shook her head in despair. "Because if you had been paying close attention you would've felt it. Wendy is not also known as the Sky Goddess for no reason, since she can use Healing Magic." She informed the rest of the Alliance.

"But that is impossible! Healing Magic is a Lost Magic." Sherry shook her head in disbelief.

Carla nodded. "Yes, and Wendy's particular branch of Healing Magic is better known as Sky Dragon Slayer Magic." She added, shocking everyone aside from a select few who had noticed when they met at Bob's Palace.

"She's a Dragon Slayer too?" Lyon asked in surprise.

Carla nodded, though still looked on edge. "Yes, and she is the only one capable of healing the poison that is affecting Erza Scarlet."

Jura took charge as soon as his own suspicions had been confirmed. "Very well, it seems that we had a course of action to take. We'll split up into different groups in order to find Wendy and get her back. If you happen to encounter a member of the Oración Seis then do not hesitate and attack them." He rolled off and formed several groups out of the Alliance.

The groups were as follows - Group 1 consisted of Natsu, Gray, Garchomp and Carla, Group 2 was made up of the representatives from Lamia Scale, the members of Group 3 were Ren Eve and Ichiya with the final Group 4 comprising of Rex and Locke. Hibiki and Lucy volunteered to go to a safer place and watch over Erza.

_Keep fighting Erza, I'll make sure that Wendy comes back but not before giving the Oración Seis a beating! _Rex vowed silently and began following Group 1 before splitting off to the south and leaving the four others to their own separate path and Locke was keeping pace with him, still gripping his slightly damaged Silver Bow.

The brown haired Mage looked on at Rex in concern and wondered if he would do more than just defeat the Oración Seis. _Given his own thought processes right now, I'd say he'd be ready to deal out a large dose of pain. Kinda like me in my younger days. _The Archer thought rather bitterly and then silently promised to stop Rex from going too far when dealing with them.

Rex was busy thinking about what he should do if things did go wrong and scowled at the very idea. He knew better than to think like that, but with the experience he had at the Tower of Heaven he was starting to think from a different, more cynical perspective and then stopped as he felt a slight headache coming along. _I can feel the presence of something else, a Plate perhaps? _He thought and then felt himself trip forwards all of a sudden.

This was his fault mainly as upon feeling something calling out to him from within his head made Rex suddenly stop and Locke ran into him. "Why the sudden stop?" He groaned as he got up and looked towards Rex with confusion, still not getting it. Since the Guardian had nearly gotten into a fight with Lyon, Locke couldn't make a guess at what he was thinking (aside from just now).

"Sorry about that, it's just that I can sense a Plate in the area, but it's too far away for me to identify. What I do know is that it's out there somewhere and I'm going to find it." Rex explained and Locke looked on in surprise, and then the two of them then began to run again, still thinking about finding Wendy first.

* * *

Elsewhere within the Worth Woodsea, the Oración Seis were hiding out in a cave. This cave was hidden in a small village that used to belong a group of people but the place has been long since abandoned. Inside the cave was a table with a plain red linen cover on it that had a white outline around the edges and lining the outside was white tied up string and groups of six were tied into one massive knot, and atop the cover stood a three bar candle holder with each candle being lit.

After taking both Wendy and Happy it was here that they returned to, for it was their base of operations and they were all looking at Wendy in particular. Except for Midnight, who was still sleeping away without a care in the world. "I still don't get what the deal is with this girl Brain." Angel stated, looking at Wendy in a strange way.

"Her voice is constantly scared, it's getting annoying." Cobra grunted.

"Yeah, she wasn't fast enough to avoid your Darkness Magic." Racer scowled and shot a dirty look at the entrance of the cave, as he was itching to get out of there and have another fight with the so called Guardian Fairy.

"For someone who's supposed to be one of the fastest around your mind really is slow isn't it Racer?" Kelsier mocked, having switched the Voice Modification Lacrima off and earned a peeved look from Racer. "Brain took her because of the type of Magic she uses, am I right?"

Brain didn't even return the look anyone else gave him before nodding in confirmation. "It is just like our guest has stated, Wendy can use a form of Sky Magic." He said, turning around to the rest of his Dark Guild.

"Isn't that a form of Lost Magic?" Angel asked, mildly surprised by this turn of events.

"So that's why you need her." Cobra mused, though he still wasn't getting where this was going yet.

"She sounds like she's worth a lot of money, oh yeah!" Hoteye grinned suddenly at the prospect of earning a vast amount of money and this earned the fat Dark Mage a weirded out glare from Cobra, and Cubellios hissed at him in annoyance as well.

Brain tapped his staff on the ground several times and moved across towards where Wendy and Happy were sitting, neither of them. "Enough. Now then my little Sky Goddess, I want you to heal somebody for me." He said with a grin on his face. The other members of the Oración Seis stood there, still trying to comprehend what Brain was thinking about and Cobra could only hear the satisfied musings of Kelsier and it annoyed him.

Initially there was no reaction from Wendy who was shaking and Happy also had a look of defiance on his face and Brain ignored that. "Her Sky Magic is crucial into helping find and awake Nirvana." Brain added and after pausing for a moment Cobra was the first to smile followed by the rest of the Oración Seis.

_So it begins. _Kelsier thought, with an amused grin on his face.

"No, I won't do what you want me to do!" Wendy shouted angrily, though it was more cared than angry as she remembered how Rex didn't seem worried about his reasons for being a part of Fairy Tail. His bravery was inspiring her, but the lack of experience made her even more nervous and uncertain in these kinds of situation.

Happy picked up on something else. "Wait, what is this Nirvana?" He demanded.

"A most excellent question." Brain replied with an evil grin on his face. "Nirvana is a powerful Magic that is capable of turning light into darkness." This didn't help Happy out, though the sound of it wasn't reassuring as well. Brain ignored Happy and turned to look outside the cave and then addressed the other members of the Oración Seis.

"Time to get working now. Racer, you go and find that person. Hoteye, Angel, Cobra, you three will go and search for Nirvana, Midnight is staying here with me. If you encounter any members of the Light Alliance do not hesitate to kill them, especially if it is the Guardian Fairy because he is the greatest threat to our plan." Brain said and began dealing out his own orders.

_I don't know whether I should stay in here and wait it out or if I should search for Nirvana out of boredom. _Kelsier thought and then made an announcement. "I'm looking for it as well, waiting in here will bore me." He stated and left the cave despite a suspicious glare from Cobra.

"Will do boss, though it might not be easy given the weight of the object." Racer admitted, and in response Brain didn't say anything but nodded in understanding as he then dashed outside the cave in a single movement and began dashing off in the specified direction. Once he was gone the other three then began following Racer out at a much slower pace and began searching for this Nirvana.

* * *

**Elsewhere with Lucy**

After seeing all of the Alliance split up, Hibiki lifted Erza over her shoulders and they retreated to a more secluded area that was some distance away from the wreckage of the Christina and Lucy helped him lay Erza down on the ground and during that time she had decided to conserve what energy she had left and move as little as possible. When she was lying down she really had lost some of her remaining energy, partly given to her by the man who loved her.

Lucy was looking at her and felt frustrated that everyone was out looking for Wendy and she had to stay behind with Hibiki to look over Erza. Lucy felt useless as well, and looked to see what Hibiki was doing.

Currently in front of the spiky haired man was large golden oval screen and keyboard display in the air. "I'm using my Archive Magic to pinpoint the location of everyone in the Alliance. I can also store and upload any information I get from them. Archive is a lot handier than it looks." Hibiki smiled at her, and this time is wasn't the normal smile that was given to a pretty girl that a member of Blue Pegasus saw. It was much warmer, genuine.

"Thank you Hibiki." Lucy said and then turned back to Erza. The Celestial Wizard was currently on her knees, doing whatever she could to help Erza, though it wasn't much. "I wish I was as confident in my skills as a Celestial Spirit Mage." She admitted.

Hibiki paused and then turned back to face her. "Don't be so down on yourself Lucy. Some of your exploits are famous stories amongst the Guilds, including how you managed to defeat the Phantom Lord Guild Master Jose all by yourself or the time you took on twenty bodyguards from the Southern Wolves Guild and we shouldn't forget the time you took out an entire Dark Guild whose members were all 20ft tall monkeys!" He rolled off in an encouraging way.

Lucy groaned at how these stories had somehow managed to get exaggerated again, though this time she wasn't bothered by it. "I don't mind a bit of encouragement by exaggeration is really pushing it." She said in reply and Hibiki went back to tracking the other members of the Alliance.

Group 1 were getting deeper into the forest, and to the four members it seemed as if the forest around them was growing thicker. Gray took a few steps back as they saw a large tree root block their path and Garchomp unleashed a Fire Blast and Natsu used his Fire Dragon's Roar to turn it to ash and it shrivelled up, and Garchomp then tore it into separate pieces with a combination of Slash and Dragon Claw.

"This thing feels like it's getting in our way deliberately." Garchomp snarled and saw that the path ahead lead to a darker part of the forest and she gave a cautious sniff in the air. "Ugh, the stench coming off of it is gross." She complained and then covered her nose and Natsu had to stop himself from gagging as well.

Much to her annoyance, this also managed to grate on Carla's nerves. "And you're going to stop just because you find the smell of the area up ahead revolting?" She questioned almost incredulously.

"Did I say I was going to stop you puny cat? Arceus you're more annoying than Aggron on some occasions." Garchomp retaliated almost immediately and growled angrily, whilst far away in MAgnolia Town Aggron sneezed suddenly."

This got on Carla's nerves. "And you're just going to give up like that?"

Garchomp rounded on her with a snarl across her face. "When in the name of Arceus did I say anything about giving up?" She shot back at Carla and was tempted to use Dragon Claw, but didn't out of consideration for Wendy and they carried on, only to find themselves in a clearing with plenty of room but no way out on foot.

They heard some rustling and from behind them came forth a pair of people that both bore a striking resemblance to monkeys. The first one sported a large dark purple afro on it with the mark of their Guild on it in a lighter purple colour, and he wore a pair of white sunglasses with dark blue lens. He had dark skin and was grinning, showing off his gold teeth. His body was round and it appeared to be mostly covered in hair, giving more credit to his monkey like appearance. He was wearing a plain white jacket that covered his diamond patterned shirt with a polka dot tie around the collar and a pair of light pants.

The other one was a lot bigger than him and had rounded ears compared to the other ones spiky. He had long fluffy green hair that also looked like it was spiked. There was no indication of any sort of eyebrows for him and on his nose was the Guild Mark and on his lips were in a strange locking pattern, looking like stitches. His attire was that of a poncho with diamond shaped motifs on the end that came with a mantle and shoulder pads that read the word Salsa on it.

"Word out on the street is that the Oraciòn Seis are looking for a magical artifact known as Nirvana, ain't that right big bro?" The beady eyed one, called Gatô asked of the other one.

"Yep, sure is bro." The Afro haired guy, Zatô nodded in response.

There was a brief pause before Gatô began to speak again. "Word out on the street is that the Oraciòn Seis are looking for a magical artifact known as Nirvana, ain't that right big bro?" He repeated and apparently was not aware of the fact.

Zatô turned to face him with a scowl on his face. "What did I tell you about repeating yourself bro?" He asked, annoyed by what had just happened.

"Oh I'm sorry big bro." Gatô replied and was staring at the group ahead. "You now what I think big bro? I think we need to teach the members of this foolish Guild that messing with us is a bad idea." He suggested, staring at Garchomp, and unnerving her slightly.

Zatô merely grinned in agreement. "You read my mind bro!" He replied and grinned.

Gatô paused for a moment before once again repeating his suggestion. "You now what I think big bro? I think we need-"

This time it was Garchomp who interrupted her, not really impressed by what she was seeing. "It's just two monkeys. I could probably take them both easily without breaking a sweat." She stated, and she heard a rustling sound.

Another member of this Dark Guild appeared, a shorter one than the other two. It was a bald man with what looked like dark marks for earrings and looked agitated. Garchomp took note of the red Guild Mark on his left shoulder and looked at it in thought. His outfit consists of a lime-colored shirt covered by a red and white jacket with yellow markings that look like bananas on the collar and two blue arrows on the sides. He wears plain blue jeans and simple black shoes. "We're all from the Naked Mummy Guild!" He declared, irritated by her words and was also shaking slightly, holding out a Magic Gun at them.

"A Dark Guild." Carla noted, looking unimpressed.

"Hey big bro that pink haired guy over there is from the Fairy Tail Guild. Why don't we show him that our Guild is not to be taken as lightly?" Gatô said, all in his monotone voice, and that was what annoyed Garchomp the most about him.

The group of four looked as they were all eventually surrounded by members of the Naked Mummy Guild, and Garchomp lost count after the second dozen. "Oh my, this is not good at all." Carla assessed, completely unaware of what Natsu and Gray were capable of.

One of Natsu's fists lit up and he grinned. "This'll be a good warm up for the Oración Seis, right?" He asked both Gray and Garchomp.

"This won't even be a warm up Natsu." Gray scoffed and made a two handed stance, and an icy mist began flowing from it.

As Garchomp took a battle stance, looking straight at most of the other members of Naked Mummy, Carla was the only one to protest at it. "Are you completely out of your mind? We shouldn't be fighting anyone at a time like this!" She objected.

Garchomp snorted. "I take it you've never seen me or a Fairy Tail Mage in action right? Then just watch us, this'll be over in under five minutes." She snorted with confidence and Carla couldn't think of anything to say in return.

They weren't the only group to encounter members of a Dark Guild. Ren, Eve and Ichiya had also ran across another Dark Guild. Their opponents were all dressed in a similar uniform that was made up a blue jacket and a white shirt, and they all had their hair fashioned in like a spike. "Hey pretty boys, why don't you come play with me?" One of the female asked in a menacing tone.

Eve didn't say anything but wasn't looked at all impressed by what he had seen. "They're all members of the Dark Unicorn Guild." He noted.

"Men, then we shall show them what it truly means to be such gents from Blue Pegasus." Ichiya declared and then struck a battle pose.

The representatives from Lamia Scale had also run across members from a Dark Guild too and they were wearing a red cloak with a hood that covered their faces. Some of them had made the fatal error of attacking and were lying on the ground. "They seriously think that they can defeat us? It's amusing as it is pathetic, I'm willing to bet that even you could take them on and defeat them Sherry." Lyon stated confidently and didn't get into a two handed stance just yet, and Sherry blushed at him.

Jura kept a stern face on him. "That doesn't mean you should underestimate the members of the Red Hood. Don't forget we still have the Oraciòn Seis out there." He rebutted them both and they looked at all of them, who were up in the trees.

One of them, presumably the leader of the group began giving out instructions to the rest of the remaining conscious members. "Get out your weapons. **Pict Magic: Goblin**!" He shouted and along with the rest of them they created a number of small cute creatures that looked no taller than a Pikachu. Goblins are small rodent-like creatures covered in pink fur full of polka-dots. They have large eyes, small ears and a large tail. They each carried a wooden stick that was at least twice as tall as they were.

Sherry didn't even bother attacking them and picked one up, looking at it. "They're so cute!" She blushed, and didn't have the heart to attack them.

"Perhaps, but they're merely a distraction at this stage, so we have to defeat them." Jura stated firmly.

Lyon took the one in Sherry's hand and coldly threw it down on the ground and then cast Ice Make: Ape, and the animal that was then formed began rampaging and defeating groups of the Goblins at a time. They were making squeals of horror and Sherry couldn't watch it as the cuteness was overloading her.

"Now men!" The leading Red Hood stated and they all began drawing in preparation for the next spell. "**Pict Magic: Wyvern!**" They all chanted out in response and the ground began shaking as from beneath them a large green dragon like creature rose up from the ground and both Lyon and Sherry took a few steps back, caught off guard by this. It was taller than Garchomp, but definitely a far cry from the Dragons that used to walk the land of Ishgar.

"Impressive." Jura acknowledged, unflinching. "Their drawing skills are certainly lifelike. However, like this Guild it will easily tear apart like paper." In a demonstration of what he had just said he pointed his index and middle fingers of his right hand at the Wyvern and a group of solid rock pillars shot out from the ground and attacked the Wyvern simultaneously, making it disappear in a puff of smoke. From that point onwards it was easy to defeat the members of the Red Hood.

"**Air Magic: Aerial!**" Ren shouted and held out an arm at a group of Dark Unicorn members. A few second later they were all gasping for air as a hemisphere formed that restricted their flow of oxygen. It took less than a minute for them to be unconscious.

"**Snow Magic: Whiteout!**" Eve shouted and extended an arm. Then a blue Seal appeared and a blast of snow came forwards to swamp another group of members of Dark Unicorn who then began complaining about the cold.

They both heard the sounds of fists meeting each other and groans coming from behind them and turned to see Ichiya defeating the last group. "Men, your efforts are commendable but ultimately futile!" He declared and struck a pose before moving along with the rest of the group.

The fight only took Group 1 a few minutes at most and Carla was stunned into silence from how easy it was for them. The three representatives of Fairy Tail divided the group up with Garchomp taking on the two monkeys who were talking whilst Natsu and Gray took on the rest of the Guild. Both Fire and Ice users managed to take down most of the other members of Naked Mummy with ease.

Garchomp took a little longer to deal with the two members who were leading the group, Gatô and Zatô, mainly because she was going a bit too easy and decided almost immediately to step up her game and attacked Zatô with Slash twice, defeating him there and then. She grinned at the look of surprise on his face as he fell backwards.

Gatô was a lot dumber and didn't know when to call it quits as he tried attacking her with a wooden club. Her response was to incinerate it with Fire Blast and it became charred and also not as effective as it was, only feeling warm against her head. Gatô didn't say anything but paused long enough to allow Garchomp to smack him into another tree with Iron Tail.

_I didn't expect this to be over so quickly. What are these Fairy Tail wizards made of? _Carla thought, surprised at how easy it was and then remembered something to remind Natsu of, but though to delay it a few moments as she looked ahead at the forest which was considerably darker than the clearing they were both in.

"So where exactly are we going now?" Gray asked.

Garchomp sniffed the air and gave a disgusted look. "We keep going forwards once you put some clothes on Gray." She pointed a claw at him.

Gray raised an eyebrow and then looked down. "Oh crap!" He cried out and then quickly put his clothes on before they all set off again rather quickly. Carla just stared at Gray, annoyed by the fact that he had stripped naked.

* * *

**With Wendy**

Back at the cave with Brain and the others, Happy tried to think about the way to escape but just as he was about to start Racer suddenly came in and disappeared then reappeared several times with a heavy object in his hands and he was looking rather worn from the journey. "I'm sorry about taking so long boss, this thing was heavier than expected." He admitted.

Brain smiled, clearly thinking otherwise. "Not at all Racer, your work in bringing this over here is remarkable to say the least." He disagreed and everyone present (except Midnight) turned to look at the coffin in question.

The coffin standing before them was huge, almost as big as Garchomp, and it was in the shape of a large T, with a silver outline and the inside the outer part of the coffin it was decorated in a red and black coloured materials with several silver chains going across it, particularly in the middle where it formed an X shape. On several corners were a faint blue glowed in a webbed pattern on it.

"What is that?" Happy asked, not sure whether or not he was going to like this.

"It is a coffin, and inside it is the one person who can help to activate Nirvana." Brain grinned at them and extended a hand forwards at the coffin. A Seal appeared that opened the coffin and doing so released a small wave of mist as it revealed the last person Happy did not want to see on the face of the planet.

The person was held down by chains that went across his arms and legs and also held his own body in the coffin by another pair of chain across it. The person had short blue spiky hair and there was a notable red tattoo on the right side of his, and the outfit this person wore was that when he was last seen at the Tower of Heaven facing off against one pissed off Rex Vermend. "I give to you… Jellal Fernandes." Brain said to both of them.

"Oh no, don't tell me that's actually him… but how can he be here?" Happy started and began looking on horror, remembering all too well what had happened the last time. If things weren't bad now then they were going to get a whole lot worse.

Brain chuckled in response and then turned to face the two of them with a look of glee on his face. "This is Jellal Fernandes, the man who infiltrated the Magic Council and manipulated them into firing the Etherion. And let's not forget that this is Jellal, the man who saved your life." He explained, mainly for the sake of Wendy, as Happy knew all too well.

Wendy wasn't shocked in the same way Happy was, instead she couldn't believe that she was seeing him in such a long time. "Jellal… you're finally back." She whispered and Happy looked between her and Brain in confusion, not understanding what either one of them meant by that.

"Are you seriously thinking about thanking him for saving you? Brain is lying to you, this isn't the same Jellal! It can't be…" Happy began protesting, reminding her of what Brain had just said and then stared at the unconscious Jellal, fearing both him and for him.

Wendy began crying out of conflict for her. She had heard about what Jellal did naturally but she couldn't get the fact that Jellal had helped her and had both of her hands lying on the ground and the tears fell down on the ground. "I heard… but I don't…" She began and was paralyzed by fear.

Brain was losing his patience. "If you can't tell me then I guess I'll have no choice but to force you to heal Jellal." He stated in an informed manner and then faked an attack on Jellal.

"Stop!" Wendy squeaked and of course Brain did so. "Please… let me think about it." She sniffed.

Brain appeared satisfied for the moment. "You have five minutes." He stated.

"You can't do that to a guy like him, if Rex were to find out he was still around…" Happy began and was unable to finish that statement and gasped, unable to think about the consequences of what he had just said. _Natsu, please get here soon. _The small blue cat thought.

"If it weren't for him though, I wouldn't be here today." This wasn't helping Wendy much either, who continued to cry and then looked on at Brain. FInally she managed to stand up and looked at Brain.

Rex and Locke were still silent as they carried on through their path within the woods and found that it was getting thicker too and wasn't entirely sure of where to go next. "I'm going to fly up and try to find any possible place where the Oración Seis could be." Rex told and then switched to the Sky Plate and began to fly upwards only to be knocked down by a strong gale and was sent crashing into the ground.

A deep voice chuckled out from above them in a tree. "I see you pests are still swarming like little flies." He called out and both Rex and Locke looked up to see Erigor looking down on them and in a slightly different look compared to last time. The hair and tattoos stayed consistent but he was was now wearing a navy blue shirt underneath a jacket. This jacket was a long one with a yellow outline and yellow and dark blue vertical stripes and on the lower half of each arm was a tied up white bandage. In between each yellow stripe near the chest of the jacket was a small red string held by a grey pin. Erigor was now wearing a pair of loose light trouser held up by a dark belt.

"Oh great we have to deal with you again. Fantastic." Rex scowled and then switched to the Iron Plate, knowing that the resistance gained by it would be very useful when fighting this guy. "When was the last time we met? Twenty five chapters ago right?" He pondered, breaking the fourth wall in the meantime.

"That's right you pesky fly. Because of you I was unable to assassinate the Guild Masters." Erigor scowled at him and then broke out into a smile again. "However since that time I laid low, doing my bidding and gaining favours with the Oracion Seis. You won't find it easy to defeat me this time." He boasted.

Rex snorted, unimpressed. "So? I've also happened to have improved Erigor, so why don't you show me what you've got?" He challenged. Although not wanting to waste any energy on him, he knew that defeating Erigor was the first priority.

Erigor smirked as he jumped up in the air with the help of his Wind Magic and began unleashing several blades of wind at both of them and Locke dodged them all, whilst Rex took them on, but not before noting the increased speed of the attack from last time. The smug grin that was on Erigor's face quickly vanished when he saw that Rex was unharmed. "What?" He began.

"My Multitype has improved greatly from last time, I've got more to use." Rex reminded him before firing a Metal Burst at Erigor who used his Magic to deflect it towards the tree, felling it in the process because of increased damage that it dealt out after Erigor's attack.

Drawing his bow Locke aimed it at Erigor. "You're forgetting me." He noted in a matter of fact tone and then began firing several arrows at him, though Erigor simply blasted them all away with his Wind and neither person shielded their faces. Locke decided to switch to two small blades and go in for a physical attack, using several trees to leap at him and he moved in for one of his physical spells.

"Don't get too cocky, fly." Erigor taunted, and moved his left hand to create a shield of wind, blocking the incoming Cross Slash and flinging Locke back into the ground where he landed with a thud. Erigor laughed and then made several different gestures with his left hand and using his right hand to cast the Spell.

"Careful!" Rex warned as a purple Seal appeared and then Erigor's Storm Bringer Spell hit both of them, sending them upwards into the powerful tornado generated. He managed to get into the Sky Plate and produced his own wind to lessen the impact from Erigor's. When it dispersed he saw that Locke had landed face first into a tree.

Flying downwards he saw that he hadn't quite come out the other side and winced. Pulling Locke out he saw that he was okay aside from the scratches on his face, though some of them were turning red. "I'll be fine." Locke assured him and Rex saw that his balance had been shaken slightly.

He flew back upwards and decided to attack by dashing forwards with Aerial Ace and Erigor tried blasting him backwards with some wind but was struck by an arrow that out a powerful screech, allowing Rex to attack successfully. Rex set the current Ability to Soundproof so it wouldn't affect him and then followed this upwards with Brick Break.

Erigor began falling downwards and then righted himself upwards before hitting the ground and turned to face Rex, taking a careful look at things as that last attack had hurt more than expected last time. "Hmm, I didn't expect to see you get this strong." Erigor thought out loud and grinned as he crossed his arms and several strong wind currents were drawn towards him and was then covered in a strong wind from head to toe.

"Damn, that's his Storm Mail, this fight is going to be that bit harder. So we'll have to hit harder." Rex stated as he landed next to Locke and decided to switch tactics and go for long range attacks.

Locke nodded and switched to the Darkness Bow since his Silver Bow was damaged quite a bit from meeting the Oración Seis and after one experiencing Erigor's Storm Bringer. "Okay, then I'll distract him. **Rocket Shot!**" He cried out and fired several shots at Erigor and then began to climb up quickly.

Erigor didn't even bother moving from his spot as he let them all hit his Storm Mail and the wind simply disperse the explosion and watched as Locke went into his Whirlwind Slash, hitting against it multiple times. "You're still being foolish." He snorted and blasted back Locke with a gust of wind.

Looking over head he saw that the weather was changing and it was clouding over. Not long afterwards it was beginning to rain, not that it would do much to his Storm Mail anyway, it was even slicing up the rainwater that came into contact with it. Erigor saw that Rex was smiling though and then heard something that sounded like an attack. "**Thunder.**" Rex stated calmly as he held his hand up.

Erigor saw as a flash of light came from within the clouds and a powerful bolt of lightning came crashing down. What he didn't see coming was that it broke through the Storm Mail and hit him anyway, lighting him up like a beacon for anyone lucky enough to see.

From elsewhere in the forest, Natsu and company were going through and heading for a clearing that Garchomp spotted, and they all saw the rain clouds forming. "I didn't expect it to rain like that so suddenly." Carla stated, surprised at the change in weather.

"That's because it didn't change naturally." Garchomp sighed and then turned to see the flash of light coming from within the clouds before they all witnessed a large bolt of Lightning strike a wind-clad Erigor.

"Hey, that person looks like that Erigor guy I fought!" Natsu recognized, mainly from how annoying Storm Mail was.

"Probably because it is. Though it looks like Rex is dealing with him alright." Gray noted, not really bothered.

"And you're not going to help him?!" An outraged Carla demanded.

Garchomp turned to face her, not even angry at what the small white cat had just suggested. "Rex is more than capable of taking care of himself. He's spent many nights sleeping on his own or with me and the others. Besides he beat Erigor once before so he can do it again." She replied and began walking towards this clearing.

"I don't get it, how can you hit me like that? My Storm Mail can block any attack!" An enraged Erigor demanded of Rex.

"That's simple, the rain makes it so that it cannot miss." Rex replied and quickly began flying up over Erigor, who tried to get another Spell but only received another Sonic Shot courtesy of Locke. By the time Erigor managed to recover Rex was high above him and looked set to attack again. "And this is the other - **Hurricane!**" He shouted and Locke began climbing up the trees again upon hearing those words.

Another powerful tornado of air formed, this time it was a lighter blue colour and wide enough to cover Erigor who was forced to strengthen his own Wind Magic to avoid himself from being tossed to the side by it. _Does he seriously think he can use his own Wind Magic to beat me? _Erigor thought with a scoff and was surprised to see an arrow pierce the jacket near his right shoulder.

Looking down he saw Locke rising up quickly to him and tried to stop him with his own Wind Magic, but the effort nearly threw Erigor to the side so all he could do was watch as the darker looking fly came up to him and delivered a powerful uppercut to the face. This made Erigor lose his balance and he was tossed from side to side before being slammed into the ground along with Locke by Rex.

When the wind had dissipated Rex saw that the effects of the Storm Mail had been neutralized, and that wasn't unnoticed by the Grim Reaper either and he looked really annoyed at that too. "You won't be laughing once I do this!" Erigor shouted and then pointed his hands to the sky, stretching both index and middle fingers. The wind around them kicked up suddenly as Erigor fired his Emera Baram at Rex who stood there and flashed a golden light before the concentrated wind blades assaulted him.

It faded to reveal him surrounded by a green shield that dissipated to show an unharmed Rex in the Iron Plate forme with armour on. "That was a close one. If I hadn't put that Protect up in time that would have hurt." He noted calmly and Erigor looked onwards in shock. This gave Rex time to use Thunder again and he ran in close.

"Your improvements were still for nothing." Rex pointed out as he used Swords Dance and then assaulted Erigor with Close Combat, showing off his increased Speed since their last meeting. Locke looked on somewhat nervously as he saw Erigor getting pummeled with too many blows for him to count.

The Grim Reaper fell on the ground unconscious, and with many bruises on his body from that last attack. Locke walked over and sniffed the smoke coming from it. "Ugh, now I know not to get fried by you." He said and turned away.

Rex let out a chuckle before feeling his head throbbing again and unlike the previous times he had felt a Plate nearby this one came with a vision that only he would see. It showed a slow fire burning, and only the crackle of it was heard despite the fact that he could make out shadows of people running away. _Now that was different, was it as a result of the Plate's type in question? _He thought and looked unhinged from what he had just saw.

The snapping of fingers made him turn to look at Locke who was staring at him with some concern. "Hey is something the matter?" He asked.

"Don't worry about it. It's just that… this is the first time I've ever been sent a vision by a Plate. It's either down to the actual type of it or it's because I have 10 out of the 17 different Plates on me. As I'm getting stronger so is the pull it has on me." Rex explained, pretending to dismiss it as one of two things. Deep down though he wondered why he had seen a vision of that. If it was a sign of what was to come then it wasn't a good one.

Locke stared at him for a minute before dismissing the matter as well. "If you say so. Try and focus on getting Wendy for now." He advised before they set off again.

* * *

**Ancient City - Group 1**

Group 1 had actually managed to find something and they were looking over the Ancient City next to the cave with the remaining members of the Oración Seis and were looking down on it. "This must be it, I can pick up on Wendy's scent now, along with them." Garchomp growled and looked like she was about to lunge down along with Natsu.

"Salamander." Carla said and she sounded much calmer than the last time she had spoke up. "There was a reason that Wendy came here and it was because of you." They all concentrated on her now after saying that. "Wendy said that she learnt her Sky Dragon Slayer Magic from a dragon known as Grandeeney but she disappeared seven years ago."

_Just like Igneel and all the other dragons. Rex might be interested to know if he doesn't already. _Garchomp mentally noted.

"Grandeeney too?" Gray raised an eyebrow and looked at Natsu.

"Yes, she came because you also use Dragon Slayer Magic and she thought that you might know something about her whereabouts." Carla added.

Natsu considered it briefly before shaking his head. "Nope, haven't heard a thing about any dragon other than Igneel." He stated and Carla didn't like the flippant tone that came with it.

Seeing as this was going on a tangent Garchomp quickly decided to get back on topic. "Now that we've answered that question can we focus on getting Wendy back?" she asked and then Natsu turned back to the village.

Lighting up both fists on fire Natsu began charging to the edge and jumped down. "Don't worry Wendy we're coming to get you right now!" He shouted, and left everyone else.

Looking outside suddenly, both Race and Brain didn't hide their shock. "Some of the Alliance are already here? This could ruin everything, get out there Racer!" No sooner than he had finished that sentence than Racer had disappeared in a blur.

"Natsu!" Happy shouted and then an angered Brain knocked him out of anger with a blast of Darkness Magic.

Turning back to Wendy, Brain didn't say anything about her time being up and ask a simpler question that was more to the point. "Well?" He inquired as Wendy stared at the unconscious form of Jellal.

Gray looked really annoyed. "Geez Natsu could you at least wait before we get started?" He asked and created a two handed stance and then placed both of them on the edge and created a slide made out of ice. He then began sliding down on it.

A blur suddenly came out of nowhere and began attacking both Natsu and Gray, destroying the slide that he was using and the form of Racer appeared in front of the group. "There is no way you're getting past me!" He declared and Garchomp landed next to him.

The blue dragon snorted. "That doesn't mean we're going try and beat you. Now Gray!" She shouted and took off into the air as Racer disappeared and delivered a powerful kick into her back and she did a barrel roll motion, firing off a Fire Blast at him but missed and then sent out an area wide Stone Edge.

Whilst she was busy engaging Racer both Natsu and Carla went ahead whilst Gray stayed behind to help Garchomp and he got into a two handed stance. "**Ice Make: Lance!**" He chanted and fired them through a blue Seal, and much to their surprise Racer destroyed them all and dodged the Stone Edge at the same time and stood firmly on the ground, looking at them in an almost insulted way.

It wasn't long after hearing Happy crying out that Natsu came in with both arms flaring on fire and was in the middle of ranting about something. "I'm coming Happy, don't you dare lay a finger on him you crazy old-!" Then he was completely silent as he saw what had happened in front of him and the fires died down almost instantly.

Standing in front of Natsu was a triumphant Brain next to a person who shouldn't have been here, and Jellal looked him calmly as if disregarding him in the first place, and on the floor was an unconscious Wendy who looked as if she had been crying. As for Midnight… he was still sleeping without a care in the world. "It feels good to be back doesn't it Jellal?" He grinned at the blue haired man.

Natsu was still silent, remembering what had happened on that fateful night at the Tower of Heaven, not forgetting the worst of it. "What the hell are you still doing here?!" He shouted and charged forwards. Jellal's response was to blast him backwards wordlessly with Heavenly Body Magic.

"Excellent, it would seem that your Magic has been unaffected by the events that occurred in the Tower of Heaven." Brain guessed. Jellal merely turned to face him and then Brain was attacked with a burst of Heavenly Body magic as well, greatly surprising the latter who fell into the ground from that attack. Jellal looked around in silence before leaving the cave without a word.

The salmon haired Mage was the first one to recover and stood up almost immediately. "Where are you Jellal?" He demanded as Carla came inwards, with a frown upon her face upon hearing that name.

"If you mean him then he's already gone outside." She informed him.

"Good, because when I'm through with him…" Natsu began and his fists burst into flame as a more vocal example of what he would do.

Carla shook her head. "We must deal with Erza Scarlet first Salamander, her life's in danger and Wendy is the only one who can heal her." She reminded him firmly in a tone that suggested it wasn't up for argument.

Natsu looked at Wendy and then back out before picking her up and carrying her over his shoulder, seeing that Happy had come too. "Natsu, they found Jellal's body and…" Happy began explaining.

"Yeah I know, but we gotta get to Erza first. If Rex runs into Jellal he can handle this." Natsu admitted reluctantly and then began running out of the cave and into the open where the fight between Racer and Garchomp and Gray had moved to the trees. Natsu handed Wendy over to Carla who then began carrying her and two pairs of flying cats could be seen in the sky.

Meanwhile both Garchomp and Gray were struggling to keep up with Racer's movements thought they could probably be faring much worse without a blue dragon for him to ride and Gray fired several Ice Make: Lance spells at Racer who either dodged them or destroyed them with relative ease and then attacked both of them with his Motor Spell. This made her lose balance and they crashed into the ground and got up.

"Ugh, this guy's speed is insane. I've come across several Ninjask and I think he might be faster than that which is saying something considering that they're the fastest regular Pokemon." Garchomp groaned and they got up to see a smirking Racer looking down on them before disappearing and landing a hard hit on her throat and then vanished to attack Gray with a forceful punch as well.

Wheezing, Garchomp let out a fiery burp for a moment before smiling as she saw something in the sky. Race had noticed this as well and looked upwards, displaying surprise and then it quickly became anger. "You're not getting away that easily!" He shouted and then vanished in a blur, climbing up several trees.

"Natsu, watch out!" Gray warned.

The conscious Dragon Slayer mage looked down at Gray initially in confusion and then heard a noise behind them, briefly seeing the form of Racer before he knocked out both Happy and Carla, sending the two of them hurtling down to the ground where they crashed on top of the body of Garchomp who had managed to recover just enough of her strength to save the pair of them and grunted on impact.

"You gotta keep going on foot, we'll handle Racer." She growled at him and Natsu nodded before picking up the three unconscious bodies, hoisting Wendy over his shoulder and carrying both Carla and Happy in one arm. Once they were secure he began running as fast as the weight of the three of them would allow him.

Back at the cave in the Ancient City, Brain fired a small burst of his own Magic to free himself from the pit that Jellal had sent him into. "I don't understand. Why did Jellal attack me like that?" He thought and began wondering for a moment. "Does Jellal mean to take the power of Nirvana all for himself?" Reaching that horrible possibility Brain decided to take no chances. "Cobra can you hear me?!" He cried out desperately.

Cobra was riding low on Cubellios, searching through a cluster of rocks when he heard the voice of his Guild Master. "Yeah I can hear you loud and clear." He responded.

"Jellal has escaped and is looking for Nirvana. Find him at all costs but do not injure him!" Brain ordered sharply and then looked momentarily at Midnight.

This was something of a surprise to Cobra but he smirked nonetheless. "On it boss. I hear you as much as I can hear this cowards footsteps. Let's go Cubellios!" He stated out loud to his partner and the purple serpent hissed as they flew through the air.

Racer scowled and tried getting closer to Natsu, but was surprised to see something intercept him and could feel the blue energy that was shaped like a dragon beneath him and let out a groan from the impact, which he would certainly feel for a while. "How on Earth Land did you stop me like that?" He spat and got up again.

"It was too easy, I used my sense of smell to work out where you going to strike from and BAM!" Garchomp replied with a trolling grin on her face as Gray joined her and took up an attacking stance again.

"You seriously think that it's going to be an easy ride against me? You couldn't be any more wrong!" Racer taunted, and felt that his own pride was being wounded one too many times recently and then tried to get past them by attacking Garchomp, watching her as she tried to attack him with Dragon Claw and saw the tear it made in the tree behind him.

Then he delivered a powerful kick aiming for the nose but only got the fins on her arms. "I knew you were going to try and get my nose when I revealed that." She smirked and then fired a Fire Blast directly at him, and Racer couldn't avoid being hit by it and was flying backwards, smoking from the heat of things as he did so.

Racer got back up, undeterred but still smoking as he did so and then opted for ignoring them all together in favour of getting the girl backwards and then tried to go forwards again and succeeded in getting past one of them only to fly straight into a large wall of ice made by Gray who was standing there with both his arms spread out.

"That's two times the pair of you have stopped me. Combined with what the Guardian Fairy did that's really pissed me off. Now you two are really going to get it!" Racer scowled at them before disappearing and to both of them it was starting to look like he was getting faster and he landed more and more blows on both of them.

Struggling to aim at him, Gray decided to try and get a hit on him. "**Ice Make: Saucer!**" He chanted and fired two disc projectiles made out of ice at Racer who merely dodged it like a blur and then avoided an Iron Tail from Garchomp and then struck her back several times.

As he appeared in the air Gray ran over to Garchomp and then extended his hands and then used another Spell. "**Ice Make: Ice Cannon!**" He cried out took aim at Racer and then began firing several round of large ice Projectiles at him though looked on in surprise as Racer used the momentum to send one back directly into the cannon and it exploded, sending shards of ice everywhere, with Garchomp protecting Gray from them.

"Hey are you okay?" Gray asked, noting that she sounded worse than she looked.

"I'm fine, it's just that with my combination it gives me a double weakness to ice. The irony of you and me fighting together is not lost." Garchomp growled, peeved and they both dodged to separate sides as Racer came to attack them again but dodged it and she locked her fins into place increasing her speed.

"For someone who's trying to run away you're not bad." Racer complimented and garchomp veered suddenly, narrowly avoiding him.

"Who said anything about running away?" Garchomp retorted in response to that and Racer initially didn't understand what he meant until he saw her over him, already coming down with an Iron Tail. She missed him again though and hit the ground. Racer then attacked her from behind with a powerful kick and she was run into the ground and then he heard the sound of Gray being kicked down next to her and they both looked up at Racer.

"I'm surprised to see that you're still standing after everything I've done to you." Racer admitted, though how of much of it was still recovering from the stomach injury that Garchomp had managed to dealt him with Dragon Rush, and then he raised one of his gloved hands high. "Now watch the spectacle from Hell known as the **Dead Grand Prix!**" He roared and drew it downwards.

In the next moment both Garchomp and Gray heard the sounds of Motor Vehicles coming to life and around them various lights began flashing straight at them. They both saw Racer suddenly in a large red Magical Motorcycle charging straight at them and Garchomp grabbed Gray and then jumped high into the air, narrowly avoiding the large red motorcycle. As soon as they landed though a number of green Magical Motorcycles began to charge forward and dash past the two of them and Gray felt himself being hit by a couple of them.

"Get on one of them and carry on flying normally." Garchomp commanded after greatly damaging one of the bikes by using Dragon Claw and she firmly let another one ram her, holding it down to stop it.

Looking around it Gray saw that there was an SE Plug attached to it. "This isn't good, I gotta use this and attack him with my Ice Make as well, which means that I'll be using a lot more Magic than I want to." He stated as he coupled it and the two of them began their pursuit of Racer with the dragon flying next to Gray.

A silent Jellal continued walking through the forest with an air of determination to get to… someplace. Even if you asked him where he was heading there was no way to get an answer. Along the way he encountered the unconscious form of Erigor and took his clothes. After getting them on he went in a completely different direction there was something he thought about. "Erza…" He muttered and looked upwards, eyes narrowing slightly.

* * *

**That's going to be it for now folks, so the fight against Racer is definitely going to conclude in the next chapter. As for the Plate in question… just wait and read on folks.**

**Next Time on Guardian Fairy - Light and Darkness**

**As Garchomp and Gray continue their battle against Racer, more battles will be fought. But with Jellal wandering out on his own and Cobra searching for him, not to mention the other members of the Oración Seis looking for Nirvana, who knows what will happen!**


	29. Light and Darkness

**This is something I've been meaning to ask for a while but is anyone good at fanart? Because I would like to see a drawing of Rex in his normal forme after getting Arceus' powers. If anyone is interested then PM me, if not then that's okay.**

**Previously on Guardian Fairy -**

**Rex: **Damnit Father, after Brain kidnapped Wendy and Happy they nearly got us until Jura came in and saved us, and he had been saved thanks to the work of Ichiya. Guess that pervert is useful for something after all. After relieving us of our pain Ichiya and I both tried to heal Erza, but Heal Bell wouldn't work for some reason. Carla told us about Wendy and her Dragon Slayer Magic (which I was right about!) and we split up into several different groups and I went with Locke. During our search we encountered Erigor of Eisenwald and me and Locke both overcame him. Group 1, consisting of Natsu, Gray, Garchomp and Carla found Wendy, and now Gray and Garchomp have to deal with Racer!

* * *

**Chapter 29 - Light and Darkness**

Whilst Racer was busy fighting both Garchomp and Gray, Natsu was running through the forest on foot as fast as he can. Unfortunately for him he was going a different route to the way he had come and was getting a bit lost, much to his annoyance.

A growling Natsu looked around and came to sudden halt, trying to smell any familiar scents. "Damnit, I can't pick up a familiar scent!" He complained. "How am I gonna find Hibiki and Lucy now?! I gotta get back as quickly as possible too, so I can stop Jellal." He muttered and his head went from side to side.

Happy made a groaning noise but was unable to open his eyes and began muttering what he was going to say. "Natsu… when are we… going…" The blue cat stated before falling unconscious again.

Looking down at him, Natsu smiled. "It's going to be okay Happy. We're far away from that Racer guy." He assured him, not bothering to check if anyone was nearby and continued running again forwards, jumping over an outstretched tree root and landing, though the weight nearly made him fall over.

Back with Hibiki, the former was trying to track everyone with his Archive Magic but the few he was not getting included Natsu, Wendy, Happy and Carla. This didn't deter him though and he tried to locate them all. Hibiki did take note of the rapidly moving images of Garchomp and Gray and he took a guess that they were both in a fight with a member of the Oración Seis.

A new light began blinking on the map and both of the conscious members of the Alliance present looked at it. "Perfect, it looks like Natsu is finally back on the map!" Hibiki lit up, thankful for something good, because the purple patch on her arm had spread up to cover all of the upper half and some of the lower half of it, with a few purple veins being thickened.

"Okay, now to try and find out what's happened since I lost contact with Natsu." Hibiki stated and began working his fingers over the holographic keyboard and a miniature bar appeared above the image of Natsu's head.

At the same time another bar appeared above the head of the real Natsu and then he felt a strange sensation. "Woah this thing feels like something is filling up my head with information." Natsu stated and tried to get rid of the small bar that said, DOWNLOADING above him.

When it finished the salmon haired Mage began to hear one of the weirdest things going through his head, and was also looking at the tree next to him as he heard that voice and falsely assumed that the tree was talking. "_Hey Natsu can you hear me?_" The voice asked.

"Yeah, of course I can hear you strange talking tree. What are trying to tell me?" Natsu asked, and Hibiki initially held his silence for a long time, as well as Lucy who stared at the screen in a totally deadpan look on her face.

"_Natsu, it's me Hibiki. I am using my Archive Magic to communicate with you via Telepathy. I'm not an imaginary tree like you think, and I want yo know how things are going on your end._" Hibiki explained though he couldn't help but find his antics amusing.

"Oh hey Hibiki why didn't you just say so?!" Natsu asked and Hibiki paused again to remain silent. "Well I managed to find Wendy and Happy and I've got them with me on the way back, though Gray and Garchomp are busy with Racer at the moment." He reported in his usual upbeat tone.

Hibiki and Lucy both grinned at each other in amusement upon hearing that Natsu managed to get Wendy and Happy. "_That's excellent news Natsu._" Hibiki replied and then began moving his fingers over the keyboard and then began uploading another thing into him. "_I'm uploading a map of the forest to you with our current location on it._"

Like earlier with the Telepathy spell there was another blue bar that appeared above Natsu with a red one to fill it upwards and Happy managed to say something again. "What's this Natsu… you're acting stranger than usual…" He began to mutter.

"Not right now Happy, I got this map in mind thanks to Hibiki and I suddenly know where Erza is right now." Natsu replied quickly and then started running again, this time taking a different turning based on the map that was now in his brain, and was running with renewed vigor and determination.

Elsewhere Kelsier was looking for Nirvana and then stopped for a moment as he felt a new Magic presence in the forest and then grinned as he worked out the identity of the new presence. "Perfect, this is going to make things even better than before, with Jellal on the move our plan is now all but complete!" Kelsier shouted out loud, Voice Modification Lacrima on.

Waving his hand out in front of him, Kelsier produced a holographic map of the area that was yellow just like the map Hibiki used except that this one was on a 3D plan and even showed where the valley peaked and dipped within several miles around him and a pinpoint appeared on the map, with a picture of Jellal when he was infiltrating the Council as Siegrain. Kelsier watched as the pinpoint began to move.

"**Locate - Jellal Fernandes.**" Kelsier stated after pressing a key and then an image of a compass appeared on the inside of his mask with a red arrow pointing in the direction of Jellal and also showing the distance between Jellal and his own body. _Hmm, that's some distance away, I should get going now. Making sure Jellal activates Nirvana is the first priority. _He surmised and then began heading back the way he had came from.

An as yet unknown voice sounded in his head. "_Kelsier, report. How are things going in your dealings oth Oración Seis?_" It was another male voice, and if one heard both male voice without Kelsier's Voice Modification Lacrima on they could note that the new voice sounded older than his, and it sounded slightly impatient.

"Relax, Master. Everything is going according to plan, and in fact I think something might come along far sooner than you'd expect." Kelsier added and there wasn't any questions coming from it. "It looks as if the Oración Seis have managed to get ahold of Jellal Fernandes, _the _Jellal Fernandes of course and since he can find Nirvana our plan will going smoothly." He elaborated.

Although Kelsier couldn't see his Master he didn't mistake the shock running through the voice. "_Really? Well then… this is something good for us. You have your orders Kelsier, after what happens tonight Reeze will be taking you back. I don't expect a failure._" The voice replied firmly, suppressing the satisfaction within it, almost as if knowing that something was going to go wrong. Kelsier didn't really care about the last sentence.

* * *

**With Garchomp**

Currently Garchomp was flying low and swiftly behind Gray, who was riding on a green Magical Motorcycle and both of them were in pursuit of a red one that was being ridden by Racer, the fastest member of the Oración Seis. Garchomp fired a Stone Edge at him and was surprised to see a compartment from behind open to reveal eight red glowing circles that fired a burst of Magic at the flying stones and generated an explosion.

Gray growled in annoyance as they were turning a bend and wasn't willing to cast a Spell for fear of driving off the road, though he got lucky when the road straightened out and then put both of his hands together. "**Ice Make: Lance!**" He chanted and then fired a group of them at Racer who swerved and rode that motorcycle like it was nothing.

Noticing that a few of them were getting close to actually hitting him Racer swerved around to face them, with a really cocky look on his face. "I gotta admit that last one was pretty good, but you still gotta do better than that if you wanna beat me!" He taunted and then extended out a arm and a light blue Seal appeared.

"**High Side Rush!**" Racer chanted and then in the air above them a group of tyres appeared and then began crashing down on them.

Garchomp used Fire Blast to greatly heat up one of the tyres and it fell on the road, smoking and sizzling from the heat. Then she used Stone Edge, specifically aiming for the tyres so that they would burst, and did hit quite a few of the incoming tyres too. Unfortunately for Gray he had the problem of using his Magic to fuel the motorcycle and he couldn't aim, especially as some of tyres crashed down on the motorcycle and nearly sent him off balance.

"Oh great, incoming tunnel." Garchomp announced and soon afterwards all three of them had entered the tunnel and she saw that Racer was riding on the ceiling of the tunnel and opened the compartment. A group of lasers fired at both of them and created another loud explosion, alerting two people nearby from Lamia Scale.

Lyon and Sherry had separated from Jura and were close by when they had heard the explosion and looked around sharply to see a red blur zooming past and a deep female voice saying to go on ahead whilst she picked up the pair of them and they saw Garchomp landing and unlocking her fins. "Lyon and Sherry, it's good to see you. Get on my back and help us beat Racer, this guy really is a maniac and the more people we have who go against him the better."

Although they were hesitant at first, Lyon and Sherry eventually agreed. "Just relax and try to keep your balance and grip on me. It's a lot easier than it seems." Garchomp assured them as they both climbed on to her back. No sooner than Sherry had comfortably sat herself down on the dragon then she locked her fins in place again and took off.

Sherry let out a sudden scream of shock as they took off and Lyon, who was sitting in front of her and was tightly wrapping her hand around his waist. "Sherry could you please loosen your grip, it's probably not helping this dragon." Lyon winced and took a deep breath in despite the fact that he was currently being squeezed.

Garchomp felt the pink haired woman complying and then let out a grin. Although she wasn't going to mention this, Sherry had also been gripping her legs a little too hard against her body and now that she was relaxing they were all going faster and Garchomp put a sudden burst of speed on to catch up to Gray in less than half a minute.

"So what has happened to Wendy?" Lyon asked as he looked down at Gray.

"Don't worry about her, Natsu and the others have got her and are taking her back to Erza. Besides, I could use a bit more help. If I drive and attempt to attack Racer I'll use up more of my Magic than this SE plug alone." Gray admitted and Lyon jumped over onto the Magical motorcycle.

Getting into a two handed stance, Lyon looked set to cast a Spell but Gray saw that he was using a two handed stance and couldn't help but making a remark about it. "You're using two hands Lyon?" Gray questioned, remembering their little bout on Galuna Island.

Lyon returned the smirk. "Isn't that what Ur taught us?" He replied in his usual cocky manor and Gray grinned in reply, happy to see that his friend was going back to what they had been taught a long time ago.

Turning back to Racer Lyon chanted. "**Ice Make: Eagle!**" And then sent a flock of eagles all at Racer and they did so at a pretty fast speed and combined with a Stone Edge courtesy of Garchomp destroyed the red motorcycle that Racer was working on but there was no sign of him, making the dragon look upwards and swerve to the left.

"End of the race, punks!" Racer grinned as he came down hard and smashed against the green motorcycle, destroying it in a single blow and both Gray and Lyon collapsed on the floor.

They got up and then both of them looked at each other. "Ready to do this?" Lyon asked.

"Of course. Let's make Ur proud." Gray replied and then for some bizarre reason (to Racer and the others) both of them took off their shirts and threw them into the air and took a two handed stance. "**Ice Make: Hammer!**" Gray shouted and drew both hands upwards as the object formed in the air.

"**Ice Make: Ape!**" Lyon cried and a light blue Seal appeared and the ape formed in a faster time than the Hammer and began throwing punches at Racer who dodged both of them and they promptly were shattered by Racer and his speed Magic.

Then Gray cast his Ice Make: Geyser spell to force Racer to get upwards and Lyon followed this up by using his Ice Make: Snow Dragon and the large ice creature spiralled around the large tower of ice and tried to attack Racer but missed like last time. "Damnit, his speed is getting really annoying!" A frustrated Gray scowled.

Racer stood in front them and then looked around, raising an eyebrow when he realised that there was only those two, who looked worn out. Remembering that there was a blue dragon who also accompanied them Racer turned around in shock and then received a powerful Iron Tail from behind and then felt his back being raked by claws and then disappeared in a blur. He then struck Garchomp with several powerful blows to some of the thinner parts of the body, recognising that hitting the stomach was useless and instead aimed for some of the weaker looking parts.

"Ghhh, don't just think that striking my thinner body parts will do you any good, you gotta get near me first!" Garchomp grinned and then used a combination of Fire Blast and Stone Edge, spreading out to keep Racer away from her and it definitely seemed to be working as Racer tried to attack only to see another ring of stones being fired from the dragon and then another blast of fire.

Spotting an opening in her attacks Racer then unleashed another barrage of attacks on the dragon, this time making enough so that she was stumbling backwards from her injuries and then quickly turned to Lyon and Gray, who tried to hit him with lances and eagles but it was no good as he zigzagged from one to the other.

Whilst Lyon was lying on the ground he looked up in surprise as saw the birds overhead streaking past him. Although it was a brief moment it made Lyon realise what exactly they were up against and then smiled as he got up and beckoned to Gray, who came over with a look of confusion on his face as they began to whisper quietly. Garchomp had better hearing than normal due to her being a dragon of sorts.

Racer and Sherry didn't hear a lick of it though. _Are they seriously trying to come up with a plan? It won't matter anyway, I'm too fast for them. _He thought, having missed Lyon's 'eureka' moment.

As Lyon began whispering to Gray, the latter replied "What?" And to (almost) everyone's surprise, Lyon froze a shocked Gray in ice. Even Racer didn't see that one coming.

"I said I didn't need someone as pathetic as you Gray." Lyon snorted and Gray was frozen in a tower of ice. "You can just sit here and watch." He told him.

"I thought you were friends." Racer stated.

Lyon looked at him in an almost despicable way. "I don't know where you got that idea from, we merely studied under the same teacher." He replied nonchalantly and then looked towards a stunned Sherry. "Are you going to stand there or are you going to help me?" He ordered.

Garchomp snarled at Lyon angrily. "I don't know what you're thinking about Lyon but I sure as hell ain't going to let that slide… for now." She lowered the voice of her growl, and then charged towards Racer on her own, preparing to attack him with Iron Tail but he dodged it easily and attempted to counter that but had to avoid a Stone Edge.

Turning back towards Garchomp, Lyon chuckled in amusement. "If you don't avoid my attacks then that'll be your fault. If you do get knocked out then Lamia Scale will take all the glory." Lyon added and Sherry initially looked confused for a moment before joining the fight as well.

Racer laughed briefly. "That sort of overconfidence will cost you the battle!" He charged forwards with a grin.

"**Doll Attack: Rock Doll!**" Sherry chanted and created a large doll made of rock that towered over all of them and then looked down at Racer before swinging a giant fist at him.

"Hah! You think that's going to stop me by being that slow?" Racer taunted and dodged all of the blows before attacking the Rock Doll several times and to Sherry's amazement several holes appeared in the Rock Doll. "This thing is so slow I could hit it without even trying." Racer smirked and then continued attacking the Rock Doll until it was reduced to rubble (right?) and then he quickly defeated Sherry afterwards.

Lyon was not happy about being ignored by him and so he sent a pillar of ice directly at him and Racer avoided this too. Then Lyon began running away from him. "You seriously say you're the fastest? That's a joke." He taunted and both Racer and Garchomp pursued him, with the former looking on in faint amusement and surprise and the latter was waiting patiently. "Do you want to know what your fatal weakness is? That your offensive presence is zero, unless you hit someone your speed is useless!" He smirked and was kicked several times by Racer when he had caught up.

"Heh, you certainly have the guts to insult me but with no brains, and here's why!" Racer shouted and then stopped in mid attack suddenly as they both saw that Lyon had cast a Spell that made a number of spikes grow out of his back.

Although Lyon was panting from having taken some damage there was still a knowing smirk on his face. "See? Without your speed you really are nothing." The Lamia Scale Mage lectured, and this only served to make Racer even more annoyed.

Garchomp happened next and then decided to up his own power and used a single Dragon Dance and then smashed into Racer's side with Dragon Rush and then lashed his own face with Iron Tail before finishing things with a powerful Fire Blast. The fastest member of the Oración Seis was not expecting the Land Shark Pokemon to increase his own Speed and deliver a series of attacks on her own. "How is this for fast?" She asked, drawing her fins backwards.

Racer recovered and looked with a smirk at the Dragon. "Heh heh, I gotta say I haven't been hit like that for a while but at full speed… I'll be too fast for even the both of you!" He declared and they both looked on in surprise.

"Full speed?" Lyon asked in shock. He certainly didn't see that one coming and then Racer attacked him from the side, with the shockwave being strong enough to break his Ice Make: Hedgehog spell and was about to make contact with the ground but Garchomp flew underneath him and caught him, though he got up in a rather ungrateful way. "Whatever." He growled.

Then they both began to run away and then Lyon stated to Racer. "Even at your full speed I'll still be able to hit you!" He shouted.

"And with my increased Speed I'll also be able to deal a rally of attacks. My attacking power has also increased as well, so don't go out like Greninja does!" Garchomp roared also smirking as she flew low to the ground away from Racer in the same direction.

Racer though for a moment and then decided to unleashed his full speed. "Then don't say I didn't warn you. **Gear Change: Red Zone!**" Racer shouted as a blue Seal appeared beneath him and then a red light began flowing through his entire body and then disappeared in less than a blur, catching up with them in the space of a few seconds.

Garchomp yelped out in surprise as he felt something slam into her back and within the next second she felt several attacks from both of her sides, and the force of them also increased. "What-" Was all that she could get out of her mouth before Racer kicked her stomach with both legs less than a second afterwards. All she was seeing was a red streak instead of the actual person and tried using Stone Edge to counter but none of them hit Racer.

"I warned you about this. After I get the playboy I'll come for you." Racer smirked and Garchomp turned around fast with Iron Tail, but was unable to hit Racer despite her increased speed. Racer then defeated Garchomp by delivering two strong powerful kicks to her arms and then attacked her back with a barrage of kicks and she crashed into the ground.

_Hggh… You gotta get all the way there Lyon. _Garchomp thought and then fell unconscious.

Lyon ran as fast as he can, focusing on getting as much distance between him and Racer as possible. He was panting a lot now and was smiling despite the seemingly horrible way this fight was going and heard a blur from behind him. The next instant he was kicked into the air by Racer.

"Time's up kiddo." Racer sneered at him and then began attacking Racer from multiple sides and eventually finished it with a punch to the stomach and Lyon was sent flying to the ground. "You idiot, you think that I'd really go full-powered against a brat like you?" He laughed at him.

Lyon got back up and began running again, not doing much but still being able to run and Racer downed him once more. Lyon continued to get back and run and Racer attacked him once more. _This kid is such a glutton for punishment. May as well have a bit of fun before killing him. _Racer thought casually and they saw that they were getting near the edge of a cliff.

Lyon then turned around and then cast a Spell with both of his hands. "**Ice Make: Eagle!**" He cried out and fired them all at Racer though he evaded them all and they ended up all falling on the floor, creating clusters of icicles on the ground.

Getting bored of what the kid was doing, Racer delivered strong kick from where he was and then he forced Lyon onto the tree trunk, near one of the clusters of icicles and Lyon was heavily injured, even bleeding in a few places. Racer moved a hand towards the icicles and then plucked one of them and then held it to his throat.

"You wanna know all I need to defeat a person? A knife." Racer began to say. "Because I would go so fast I can slit their throat before any one of them could cast a single spell. You picked the wrong member of the Oración Seis to fight kid, if you go against any of the Six Demons you can expect to find death." He added.

Lyon only smirked in response. "Perhaps, but I know the nature of your Magic. It doesn't actually let you increase your Speed." He revealed and Racer paused for a moment. "What your Magic allows you to do is to slow down others perception of time, making it appear as if you're going faster. There is one problem with it though." He continued and looked upwards in the direction of the ice tower made by Gray.

Racer thought about it for a minute and was intrigued to see where this was going to go. "You see your Magic also affects anyone within a set radius, meaning that outside of it the person would see things as normal." Lyon explained and then Racer looked on in surprise.

**With Gray**

For most of the time after Lyon had frozen Gray he stood there watching and it was when Lyon had been kicked down that the ice surrounding him shattered and he landed on his feet, and also had a good clean shot at Racer.

**With Lyon and Racer**

"So that means all this time!" Racer accuse angrily and realised that he couldn't do anything about it.

Lyon chuckled weakly though was grinning from ear to ear. "Yeah, we were faking that just so Gray could get enough space between him and you to lost that perception." He added.

"No way! I can't possibly be hit!" Racer replied desperately.

"You underestimate Gray. When a Fairy Tail Mage sets his sights on what he wants to do there is no stopping them."

**With Gray**

"Woah, suddenly everything seems so clear now." He noticed and then immediately got into a two handed stance. "Okay, Lyon let's finish this together!" Gray declared and then drew his two hands together and the space they were in began glowing brightly, drawing in a lot of cold air.

"**Ice Make: Super Freeze Arrow!**" He cried out and fired a bright large glowing arrow at Racer. The closer it got to to him the faster it got because of the gravity and the air pressure, until it became two fast even for the likes of Racer.

**Back with Lyon and Racer**

_No… I can't stop it! _Racer thought in surprise and had no choice but to release his own prayer. "My prayer… was to be the fastest. Faster than anyone else…" He muttered before it hit him and sent him flying backwards, arms outstretched and a look of shock on his face. Landing on the ground, Lyon watched with satisfaction.

Sherry and Garchomp came afterwards with the former having a look of confusion on her face. "What just happened? I thought you didn't want Gray's help!" She blurted out, looking from Lyon to the tower that Gray was on and back again.

Garchomp then gave a guilty look towards Sherry. "Uh, I was also in on their little ruse because I had better hearing and decided to also play alogn with it. That's why I attacked first, pretending to do so out of anger." She admitted and didn't look all too happy about.

It wasn't long until Gray also came to them and looked to see the defeated Racer with a look of approval on his face. "We did it." He stated obviously.

Lyon didn't look as optimistic as he did though. "But we still have five other members to deal with though." He pointed out in a somewhat pessimistic tone, and Garchomp secretly acknowledged that he had a point.

A low, unhinged growl alerted them all and Racer had gotten up in anger, removing his jacket to reveal a sleeveless black shirt with something of even more concern on it. It looked like a bomb and had a round Lacrima in the centre that was connected to 5 other Lacrima looking exactly like it and the centre Lacrima was glowing red. "I am a member of the Oración Seis. I won't lose like this, not unless I take you all with me!" He declared and one of the outer Lacrima turned red.

"Grrr, I can't use my fins to fly the bomb away!" Garchomp complained and took several steps backwards, her muscles not helping her at this stage and she fell forwards again from the pain. Gray was in a similar position too, with the Super Freeze Arrow having taken up most of his remaining Magic.

Lyon managed to find the strength within him to get up quickly as the second Lacrima outside turned red. "You're not going to get rid of us like that!" He stated bravely and then grabbed Racer and began pushing him to the edge of the cliff.

"Lyon! Get back!" Sherry cried out and Gray looked on in horror.

"Don't worry about me Sherry, I can handle this!" Lyon replied as he gave one last push and the two of them began falling over the edge of the cliff as the third Lacrima turned red and Lyon felt himself being oddly calm at a time like this as he began to move his hands over the Lacrima. At this point Racer wasn't able to do much else, except hope to get rid of as many as possible with this last ditch attempt.

The fourth Lacrima on the outside had turned red as Gray and Sherry ran desperately to the edged of the cliff but Garchomp lurched forwards and held both of them back. "LYON!" Gray and Sherry shouted out loud, reaching out with their hands as a large explosion sounded and to the three of them it seemed as if Lyon had actually died.

"Why didn't you let us get to him!" Sherry shouted angrily at Garchomp and pointed a finger at her.

"Because you'd go with him! I certainly don't want to tell Rex that someone has died during my watch now do I?" Garchomp snapped back and Gray place a gentle arm on Sherry's as he knew the rage of the Guardian Fairy all too well.

"But I won't leave him like that!" Shery argued stubbornly.

Gray was looking over the edge of the cliff with horror and hope mixing on his face. "No, I refuse to believe that he's dead." He stated angrily. "Lyon! Answer me Lyon!" He shouted out loud and when he got no reply created a flight of stairs made out of ice and began running down them. Despite what many of you would think the ice would not cause anyone to slip up in this case.

Garchomp took a few hesitant steps on the stairs and then began running down them in an awkward way until she slipped and then began falling in a comical way, crashing into Gray en route down the the bottom. "I'm sorry about that." She complained.

Sherry was ignoring all of this and instead opted to just stand there, brooding in her own thoughts. _Who… who is really responsible for my beloved's death? _She asked angrily to herself and slowly began walking down the flight of steps.

At the hideout of the Oración Seis, Brain was about to do something important until he felt Racer's defeat and subsequent release of his prayer and he was greatly surprised by this. "Racer has been defeated? I certainly didn't anticipate this." Brain stated out loud and was clutching the side of his face, with one of his tattoos mysteriously disappearing.

Turning to the person sleeping next to him Brain said, "Midnight, wake up and eliminate the rest of the Alliance." He ordered.

Midnight woke up almost immediately afterwards and got his feet, looking a Brain in a relaxed way and rubbing his back with one hand. "Yes, father." He replied in a sinister tone.

* * *

**With Jura**

Jura Neekis had separated from Lyon and Sherry, after telling them to focus on finding the hideout of the Oración Seis whilst he would defeat the individual methods if he came across them. Looking around he sensed a great magical power and looked around to find a member of the Oración Seis, and more specifically turned to find that there was someone hiding there. "Come out and show yourself. I know you're hiding!" He warned.

The ground next to him liquefied and went forwards to attack but Jura used his own Earth Magic to create a barrier of rock pillars that blocked the attacked and buried themselves back into the ground, whilst the liquefied ground ground swirled into many different tentacles as Hoteye revealed himself. "Such a sight to go up against the Wizard Saint Jura, oh yeah!" Hoteye exclaimed jovially.

Jura then attacked Hoteye by making several pillars of solid rock burst forth to attack him and in response, Hoteye casted Liquid Ground to liquefy the pillars and then spread them out back towards the large bald Wizard Saint. The wave of liquid earth was diverted to both sides where it hardened instantly and they were left at a standstill.

"How interesting. It would seem that despite the fact that we use the same Magic it works differently. You can harden the ground and I can soften it. I wonder which of ours is the stronger one." Hoteye mused out loud.

"It doesn't matter about the power of one's Magic. He who has the stronger conviction shall always triumph." Jura stated adamantly.

"I beg to differ, the person with most money will always come out on top. Oh yeah!" Hoteye declared and made a V sign with his two free fingers.

* * *

**With Natsu**

Natsu was still running through the forest, things being a lot easier thanks to Hibiki using his Archive Magic to upload a map of the forest with the location of him, Lucy and Erza in it all. In the distance he heard an explosion but wasn't sure where it came from, and then decided to carry on, knowing that whoever was there could likely handle themselves. "Almost there!" He said out loud and within seconds he had found the three of them.

"You're back!" Lucy shrieked out of joy and Hibiki turned around, also happy to see Natsu. "Where's Gray and the others?"

"They ran into a member of the Oración Seis, though I don't know what that explosion was about." Natsu explained in a nonchalant tone, and Lucy was only mildly surprised to see that he wasn't concerned for him. Setting the three of them down Natsu immediately turned to Wendy and began shaking her quite a lot. "Wake up Wendy we're here!" He cried.

"There is no need to be so hard on Wendy Natsu!" Lucy objected, though she stopped upon seeing the small blue haired girl stirring.

"What happened?" Wendy asked, looking as if she was about to cry again because of what she had did a while back and looked around nervously at Natsu.

"Since you were kidnapped we split up to find you. Natsu's group did, though I can't seem to find Gray and Garchomp right now." Hibiki admitted then remembered to update the rest of the group he could contact, and he started off with a certain white haired Guardian and quickly initiated his Telepathy Spell onto Rex and Locke. "Hey Rex can you read me?" Hibiki contacted Rex.

"_What is it Hibiki?_" Rex replied, and although Locke didn't reply they both were listening in onto Hibiki. "_This sounds good though, so I hope that it is good news._"

Hibiki smiled. "_Of course it is good news, Rex. Natsu has managed to recover Wendy and Happy and they're both back with us. Wendy was unconscious but Natsu's just managed to wake her up._" He replied.

Rex let an audible gasp slip through the Telepathy. "_...I see. That's the perfect news. Locke and I are still going to try and find any members of the Oración Seis or Nirvana and I'll try and rendezvous with Erza en route. When she wakes up, can you please tell her that I love her?_" He spoke specifically to Hibiki at this and the brownish blonde haired Trimen nodded slightly.

"I will. I am going to send you a map with the location of Erza on it. Once she's fully healed up it'll activate and you'll be able to see her exact location for an hour, and after that you're on your own." Hibiki warned him and then moved his fingers over the keyboard and a blue download bar appeared above Rex's head, and it was filling up slowly.

"_Thank you for that._" Rex grinned and then felt his spirit lift upwards.

Lucy looked back at Natsu and Wendy. "So what happened to you?" She asked, upon seeing her beginning to cry again. Looking across at Natsu she saw a glare on his face and there was a small growl of annoyance coming from him.

"I'm so sorry… please forgive me…" Wendy pleaded to both of them and Hibiki stopped working on his Archive Magic to listen to what she was saying. "I didn't mean to revive Jellal…" She stated between sobs and Lucy performed a double take upon hearing this, also wondering whether or not Rex knew about it yet.

"What's this about Jellal?" Lucy cried out in surprise.

Natsu looked over towards Wendy in a comforting way. "It's alright, we can get to that later. Right now I need you to heal Erza with your Magic." He replied calmly.

Wendy looked up at him and then felt a lot better at what Natsu had said and then nodded. "Okay, I will!" She said firmly and then kneeled down next to Erza's arm which was almost entirely purple now. Calming down she moved her small arms above the purple area on Erza's and then a gentle green glow began emitting from Wendy's hands that targeted the poison.

Everyone present was watching as the purple patch began receding at a steady rate and within a minute it had completely disappeared all together and when the green glow faded from her arms she felt faint and nearly fell down onto the ground were it not for Carla waking up and catching her and she had a very annoyed look on her face. "This is what happens when you use your Magic, child. In future you should refrain from asking her to use it." Carla reprimanded them.

Wendy stirred. "No… it's okay Carla. I want to do this, I have to help them in some way. I just hope that I get to see Jellal again now that he's woken up and is somewhere within the forest." She replied with a smile on her face and Carla didn't know what to say to that.

Any good feelings that the group were experiencing had now been lost when they saw a black and white light erupt from across them and they all watched as black intangible tentacles swirling around it that were also spreading out from the pillar of light and they could sense something evil coming from the light. "What is that?" Lucy asked, and she was trembling.

Hibiki didn't like this one bit and knew exactly what it was. "That's Nirvana." He replied and they all looked at him, with Wendy's face being a look of complete horror as she realised that there was only one person.

They weren't the only ones who had looked in the direction of the pillar of light. The Group consisting of the Blue Trimens had also noticed it and were wondering what was going on. "Yes, that light has to be Nirvana. We must hurry quickly, a member of the Oración Seis are no doubt hanging around at the source of that light." Ichiya stated and then they nodded once in agreement before quickening their pace.

Ren was clearly trying to contact Hibiki but for some reason was failing to do so. "Crap, I can't contact Hibiki. Is this Nirvana's work?" He pondered.

Rex and Locke were wondering through the forest, and he still couldn't see the map through his own eyes and they both immediately turned to face it. There was a grunt of pain from Rex and then had to close his eyes hard, then he opened them again and felt something going on inside his mind. _Okay, that was weird. It just felt right now as if something was trying to screw with my mind? Was it Nirvana? _Rex thought.

"We're thinking the same thing. Let's go." Locke stated and they both nodded before heading towards the source of the light.

Back with the whole group everyone looked towards the light right as Erza was flitting back into consciousness and she began to hear some of the things that the group where saying including something in particular that was coming from Natsu. "The light has got be where Jellal is. I'm going after him!" He declared before running off from the rest of the group.

"Natsu wait up! The Oración Seis are still out there!" Hibiki called out but realised that it was no use as Natsu began running away all of a sudden and that warning fell on deaf ears.

_Did Natsu just mention Jellal? _Erza thought as she came too and looked around to see that everyone was now looking at her despite the fact that someone (Jellal) had just found and activated Nirvana. It made her question how he fell into all of this and felt the painful memories of him come back.

Wendy was also looking on at Hibiki and was shaking from the guilt of what she had just done. "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry for what I've done. I know I've doomed you all!" She cried out in horror and Erza looked at her, still not understanding everything yet got up to look at the light.

Erza thought for a moment as she let the name Jellal run over her head over and over again and realised that she had to find out the answers and then quietly slipped away from the group and began running off on her own. If Jellal was here despite what she seen at the Tower of Heaven then she had to find him, because Rex finding him would not be good news.

"So what do you think… Erza?" Hibiki cried out loud and everyone else turned around to see that she was gone.

"Where did she go?" Lucy asked.

"She must have heard the name Jellal and ran to find out what was going on. We have to find her quickly." Carla reasoned and they all turned to face her.

Wendy began shaking up again. "This is all my fault, if I hadn't revived Jellal then this wouldn't have happened and we wouldn't be in this mess." She began crying out loud.

Hibiki then looked at her and immediately began running his fingers over the keyboard. "**Force Blast.**" He muttered, then Wendy looked around her as several hexagonal screens appeared around her and they began flashing up with red warnings before each of them let out a blast of energy that knocked out Wendy.

"What on earth are you doing?" Carla demanded

"I had to do it, because if Wendy let her negative feelings get to her she would have been affected by Nirvana's Magic." Hibiki stated.

* * *

**With Jellal**

Roughly five minutes prior to the light suddenly erupting from where Nirvana was, Jellal was walking through the forest with the same pace he had used earlier, somewhat slow but strident and firm. Following him was Cobra and he was getting annoyed for one particular reason. Somehow he was unable to hear Jellal's inner voice and it was getting on his nerves. _I can't hear his thoughts… why can't I? _Cobra added to himself and had to watch what Jellal was doing.

Jellal ended up standing beneath a tree that was emitting a strange light. Unlike many other trees it was much darker and had a more sinister aura about it with multiple black vines hanging around it and the light that was coming from it was a mixture of white and black. "..." Jellal said nothing as he merely frowned and looked at it as if there was something off.

_What's wrong now? Don't tell me he's seen me already? _Cobra thought, irritated by this fact and then heard two voice that were much higher pitched, and one of them sounded vaguely familiar. He couldn't see any sign of the two voices, so he wondered if Jellal was seeing something he couldn't

In that regards, Cobra was one hundred percent on the mark. Jellal was frowning because he was seeing images of two people next to each other, and he vaguely recognised the first one as being him while he was younger. Truth be told though it was an assumption as his memories were a blank right now and he didn't know about a thing.

He was looking at a younger version of him, back when Jellal was a slave at the Tower of Heaven, with only a ragged white vest on and with a chain that took the form of a white link between them on the wrists. The person that his younger self was talking too and was a female with short red hair and had both eyes at this point, dressed in a very similar manner to each other.

"_Jellal… I'm scared. I want to run away from this awful place but…_" A younger Erza began to say but she stopped and nearly teared up in their cell.

A young Jellal placed a hand on the shoulder of the shaking Erza. "_Do not worry about a thing Erza, I'll always be here for you no matter what._" He assured her. "_I know, I hate this place too and I want to get the hell outta here. We'll get through this. Together._" The young male declared firmly and the two images of them faded away.

Cobra just looked on in confusion for a moment. "What the hell was that all about?" He asked quietly and looked on, no longer trying to hide himself but instead was standing in a position so that Jellal wouldn't see him and then looked on before focusing onto the light. "This tree, I've never seen it before. but this guy looks like he does."

Jellal stood around and observed the tree for a moment before placing his hand on a tree limb and there was an immediate response from the tree which then erupted into a pillar of white and black light that was getting reactions from the light alliance as well and several black tentacles erupted from it, throwing up plenty of wind and Jellal stood there impassive.

Once the light erupted Cobra could hear it and then looked on in glee as he recognised it. _Yes, yes! That is it, I can hear the noise coming from the light. Nirvana is ours! _He declared inwardly and looked up at the pillar of light.

* * *

**With Jura**

They were both looking ready to fight again until a pillar of light erupted from the ground and then Hoteye looked at it along with all of the other members of the Oración Seis looked at it, including Midnight this time. "What on Earth is that light?" Jura inquired.

"That my friend is the light of Nirvana, it seems as if someone has activated the first stage of it. Oh yeah!" Hoteye declared with a grin on his face.

"Nirvana's first stage?!" Jura gasped in surprise and felt himself in conflict over his actions. He wondered if he should either defeat Hoteye as quickly as possible or try and investigate what had happened at Nirvana. _This is not a good thing. _Jura thought and then turned back to Hoteye was grinning.

"With Nirvana being activated the Oración Seis will become stronger than ever and I will make infinite money! Oh yeah!" Hoteye declared rather darkly and a dark look come across his face, earning him the attention of the Wizard Saint. "I will… I will… **AIEEEEE!**" Hoteye suddenly screamed in horror.

Jura looked surprised by this and wondered what on earth was going on now. Things were made even more confusing by the fact that a black aura was surrounding the member of the Oración Seis and it appeared to be leaving him and was replaced with a white aura that seemed to be filling him in replacement of the black aura.

Hoteye was silent for a moment before speaking up. "I will… no longer kill for money as money cannot give you anything you want." He stated, surprising Jura by doing his sudden 180 flip and then had a look that was not dissimilar to Sherry whenever she was rambling on about love. "I will not fight for money but also fight for my true feelings and bring love to the whole world, oh yeah!" He declared and held out the V sign, this time for peace.

"Are you serious?" Jura asked, losing his adamant composure and staring at Hoteye with his mouth wide open.

"I assure you it is no joke my friend, I truly did not mean to harm you, for you see all I ever wanted to do was to find my brother who I had been separated from when I was just a child. I believed that if I had all the money in the world I could find him." Hoteye confessed and remembered when he was much younger back in the Tower of Heaven, he was meeting Jellal in person and behind him stood Brain and then Hoteye grinned an evil grin and a young Hoteye was surrounded by a purple aura.

Jura resumed his normal glare but this time felt some sympathy and understanding for what Hoteye had just done. Then to his surprise he found that he was being hugged by Hoteye. "I apologise for my former actions. I want nothing more than to show the other members of the Oración Seis that their ways are foolish! We have to show them the beauty of love!" Hoteye declared.

"Um… of course Hoteye." Jura replied, still not sure how to respond to this developing situation.

"Please, I no longer want to be called Hoteye. My real name is Richard." Hoteye… I mean Richard requested to which only Jura nodded in amusement and when they separated they began heading towards the light as well.

* * *

**With Lucy**

"Nirvana's Magic?" Lucy asked, confused.

Hibiki hoisted Wendy over her shoulder. "Come on, we need to go and get to Nirvana." He stated and despite some hesitance they all began to go and head off towards the light. After a while Hibiki began to explain what was going on. "I'm sorry for what I did earlier, it's because of the Magic of Nirvana. You see I know more about Nirvana than most people, almost everyone in fact. Nirvana is a Magic that is capable of switching light and darkness within people."

"I see now." Carla was the first one to realise what was going on. "And because of Wendy's guilt over reviving Jellal it makes her the perfect target for Nirvana's Magic. You were protecting her from it." She guessed.

Hibiki nodded. "That's right. I'm sorry for knocking her out." He apologised and they all kept on running. "Nirvana runs off of negative emotions including hatred and guilt. Given what Natsu is doing right now, he might be a potential target."

"Natsu?" Lucy cried out in shock, mainly because of the fact that she had been with him for a while and he didn't really strike off as a bad person. "Come to think of it though…" She began thinking about what a bad Natsu might act like. "An evil Natsu wouldn't really be all that different to a normal Natsu." She sweatdropped.

Carla was thinking about the same thing. "You're probably right." She agreed and they both imagined an evil Natsu destroying everything and challenging everyone around him to a fight. So no difference between them whatsoever.

Hibiki almost smiled. "I wish it was as simple as that. Everyone gets angry and feels negative emotions from time to time, and there are more factors to it than just that. Another thing to note is that the person who controls Nirvana can also control the hearts they desire, and that's quite a lot of power to have." He admitted, and Lucy was feeling greatly unnerved by this. If it was true then the Oración Seis were most likely planning to target only the light Guilds.

* * *

**With Sherry**

They had all seen the pillar of light go off in the air, though right now their main focus was finding Lyon. Both Gray and Garchomp were praying for him to be alive and the Pokemon lifted up a tree with her own strength and looked behind it before putting it back down, mainly because it had already been uprooted by the explosion. "What on earth is that?" Garchomp asked, looking at the pillar of light in the distance.

"Nevermind that, we have to find Lyon and make sure he's okay!" Gray reminded him and Garchomp nodded somewhat hastily before they both went back to finding Lyon. "Lyon! Answer me!" Gray called out loudly though ended up getting no response and continued to search for him.

Sherry clenched her fists and felt a dark aura take over her thoughts and she ended up falling to Nirvana. _It's their fault… they must pay in the name of my love. I will avenge you Lyon! _She thought and her eyes darkened.

"**Doll Attack: Wood Doll.**" She called out and then several demon like trees appeared by her side and Garchomp looked at her for a moment before returning to focus on Lyon. "Crush them both in the name of my love!" Sherry commanded and they all began crashing forwards.

This got both of their attention and two of them grabbed Gray, their branches wrapping around his body and then squeezing them. "Sherry… what's… gotten into… you!" Gray gasped for air as he struggled and then attempted to used Freeze to turn several of the branches into ice, only remembering that he used most of his Magic against Racer. Gray couldn't take much more of it otherwise he would fall unconscious.

Garchomp was faring much better and then began blasting away at the trees with Fire Blast, destroying the ones that were coming around to attack her and charged forwards upon seeing Gray in danger and then began tearing at the branches with Dragon Claw and Sherry watched angrily as two green claws began tearing at them. "Quickly, knock her out before anything bad happens." She warned.

"Sherry stop this now!" Gray tried to talk to her but she sent another few trees at him and dived out of the way. "What's making her act like this?" He wondered.

Garchomp managed to swerve around her and grabber Sherry's neck with her tail, making the Lamia Scale Mage lash out at her. After her part in the battle against Racer she was surprised to see that her punches felt extremely light in comparison, though it didn't stop small pinpricks of pain shooting through her body occasionally. "You have to calm down Sherry!" Garchomp growled at her.

"I'll only calm down once you two are dead! You're both responsible for killing the love of my life and I will avenge him!" Sherry spat at them all and then Garchomp tightened her tail sharply, applying enough pressure to knock Sherry out unconscious.

Gray let out a sigh of relief and poked at Sherry's body. When she didn't get up and attack them he looked towards the light. "Is that responsible for Sherry's sudden change in personality?"

Garchomp glared at the light and growled. "Most likely. We should get going now, and don't forget to bring Sherry with us." She said to him and then Gray hoisted an unconscious Sherry over his shoulder, continuing their search for Lyon.

* * *

**With Eve**

Eve had separated from both Ren and Ichiya, deciding that they would cover more ground and unfortunately for the youngest member of the Trimen he had encountered Midnight and was already in the midst of a one sided fight with him. The fight was one sided in favour of Midnight and Eve was currently running away from him. _How is it possible that I haven't him yet? At this range I shouldn't miss him. _

The young pale Goth took steady steps towards Eve, taking his time with his prey and had a smirk on his face throughout the whole 'fight' and simply waited for Eve to corner him self. "Is this some sort of joke?" Midnight asked.

Turning around to face him, Eve decided to cast a Spell. "**White Fury!**" He cried out and attacked with a small snowstorm but watched as it didn't hit Midnight again and was sent back at him, not helping his injuries and Eve fell down onto the floor in surprise.

Midnight snorted, looking thoroughly impressed. "And here I thought you were going to be worth the effort. I'll show you something truly terrifying." He stated in a nonplussed manner and took several steps towards Eve before doing something that made the young blonde man scream in pain and agony. Midnight smirked upon hearing this.

* * *

**With Natsu**

Natsu was running close to the river in pursuit of the light, knowing that he would find Jellal and this would be all over, but he caught a familiar scent and turned to the left to see Gray Fullbuster floating in the river and he appeared unconscious. "How did Gray get here?" He asked and went down to the river and took a look at him. "Wake up stripper, where did Garchomp go?" Natsu demanded, actually remembering the last time he had seen Gray. When he got no response began to walk into the river to try a more physical approach.

"Wake up!" Natsu demanded a little more forcefully.

"Geez Natsu, could you get any more annoying?" Gray asked, scowling at him.

"WHAT?" Natsu roared.

Gray then smirked and pulled out a rope from underneath the water and Natsu looked on in surprise as they found themselves floating on a wooden raft. "It's just the perfect way to shut you up Natsu Dragneel of Fairy Tail. Your Dragon Slayer Magic leaves you vulnerable to motion sickness." Gray stated in a formal way, though it wasn't Gray in reality. The fake Gray looked on as Natsu's motion sickness took over and he created a spear out of his Ice Make magic, then raised in preparation for the kill.

Then several real arrows came out and shattered the Ice Spear created by the fake Gray and Lucy, who had appeared and summoned Sagittarius. "Stop it Gray! What are you thinking?" Lucy asked and looked at him suspiciously.

"This idiot let himself get motion sick! I'm putting him out of his misery." The fake Gray argued, hoping to get her suspicions off of him and turned back to Natsu. "You're so pathetic getting caught on a raft like that!"

"Natsu!" Happy cried out, having arrived after Lucy along with Hibiki, Wendy and an unconscious Carla.

The fake Gray then turned to face Happy, not looking to happy unlike the blue cat and then fired his Ice Make at him and Happy was suddenly encased in a block of ice and fell next to Hibiki and Carla, the former of whom turned to face the fake Gray. "You're not Gray, so who are you?" He asked, knowing that something was up with this Gray.

"Happy can fly, however he can only carry one person at a time and most often carries Natsu Dragneel around with him." 'Gray' assessed in an almost mechanical tone and the raft came to a halt when it gently held up against the raft.

"What's this Gray going on about?" Lucy frowned.

Turning to look at her, Gray gave a slight smirk. "Gray's opinion of Lucy is that she is too cowardly and at the same time manages to be brave enough to face her opponent. Contradicting." He stated out loud and Lucy was really annoyed by this now. Her annoyance became surprise as she saw that 'Gray' attacked her with shards of ice.

Hibiki was the one to come to her rescue, shielding the rest of the group from them with his Archive Magic. "I know Nirvana is capable of switching light and darkness around but I don't think that's it at all." He stated.

'Gray' smirked towards Hibiki. "Alright you got me. I'm Lucy." He replied before turning into an exact copy of her and they all jumped backwards in surprise upon seeing this. "With someone as good looking as you are Hibiki Lates, your weakness would naturally be this!" 'Lucy' smirked and then lifted up her shirt at them.

Carla was the only one to react from anger, with Lucy crying out in shock and both Hibiki and Sagittarius gaped at 'Lucy' from the sudden surprise and was distracted enough for the fake Lucy to smile. "My information gathering is complete, and it would seem that I have some very interesting information that I've collected." She stated and looked at Sagittarius.

The Celestial Spirit was looking on in surprise as he drew back his bow and began attacking Hibiki. "But… I don't get it! You didn't order me to attack him my lady, this must be her work!" He cried out in surprise as the group around him scattered slightly, and he was pointing the blame towards the Lucy on the raft.

"Don't worry, I've got it covered. **Forced Gate Closure!**" Lucy cried out with his key in her hand and Sagittarius disappeared in a glowing golden.

The fake Lucy then began to laugh as she took out a golden key from her own belt. "That just makes things easier for me. **Open - Gate of the Golden Archer: Sagittarius!**" She chanted and a golden bell was rung as Sagittarius appeared next to her on the raft.

"How do you do… what? I was just sent back to the Celestial Spirit World not long ago!" The man in the horse costume realised, looking around him in surprise.

Hibiki turned to face Carla. "You go and get Wendy away from here. We'll stay behind to deal with this situation." He instructed her and Carla nodded before picking up Wendy and beginning to fly away.

"It doesn't matter Sagittarius, what matters is that right now those two are escaping and we can't let them, so shoot them down!" The fake Lucy ordered almost casually.

"I will do no such thing!" Sagittarius stubbornly refused, though his bow was already pointed towards the flying cat and he was struggling to prevent himself from shooting at Carla.

The fake Lucy turned to glare harshly at Sagittarius. "What did I just hear? Are you actively refusing an order?" She snarled threateningly before choosing a much more delicate tact and then appealing to him. "But I summoned you Sagittarius, that would mean you have to listen to everything I say." 'Lucy' gently reminded him in a passive aggressive tone.

"Even so you are not the real Lucy and refuse to shoot on a fakers orders like yours!" Sagittarius shouted out loud and continued to struggle against those orders. "Quickly my lady, force my gate to close again and hurry! I don't know how much longer I can hold out!" He pleaded and the bow jerked back once more.

As Lucy attempted and fail to do another Forced Gate Closure the fake Lucy laughed in amusement at her attempts to do so. "Don't you get it? I summoned Sagittarius which means that I control him to do as I please. It also means that only I can force his Gate to close." 'Lucy' chided and smiled in amusement.

Another female voice came in, a new one that belonged to the only female member of the Oración Seis appeared across the river and both Lucy and Hibiki were look towards Angel who had an evil smile on her face. "That will no longer be necessary Gemini. We have already found Nirvana." She spoke up.

"They already found it?" Lucy asked and looked on as 'Lucy' transformed back into two very similar looking dolls.

"That is indeed correct. I am Angel of the Oración Seis, and Gemini can duplicate the appearance of anyone who is on my level or below perfectly." Angel stated in a mocking tone and Lucy did not like what she was insinuating. "You're a Celestial Spirit Wizard, and I see that you have some of the Keys of the Zodiac, so please hand them over if you know what is good for you." Angel requested and outstretched her hand.

"Not on your life." Lucy retorted and Angel dropped the hand, as if expecting the answer and watched as she drew out a key from her belt, knowing that this was the perfect place to summon one of her strongest spirits and she plunged the key into the river. "**Open - Gate of the Water Bearer: Aquarius!**" Lucy chanted and the water splashed up around her.

Angel drew out a golden key of her own in preparation and sent Gemini back to the Celestial Spirit World. "You can defeat me, but that is of no problem. I also happen to be well versed in Celestial relationships." She added and watched as Aquarius appeared. "I'll admit I was expecting something a little more good looking."

Aquarius heard that and got really annoyed by her. "You're just looking to get soaked along with my owner aren't you?" She growled at her and ignored Lucy's protests.

Angel began laughing at that. "I can't believe that your Spirit hates you!" She chuckled and then watched as Aquarius was about to send a strong wave of water at her when she used her own Key. "**Open - Gate of the Scorpion: Scorpio!**" She called out.

Scorpio was a tall, lean, dark-skinned male with the right side of his hair in red and the other side in white. His tail was a large gun that was shaped in the style of a scorpion and it also had the word 'Antares' written on it. He didn't wear a shirt but instead chose to wear a flower shaped collar that is red and trimmed with gold around his neck. He has a red sheet-like material around his waist that is kept up by his large belt that has the Scorpio symbol on it. He wears black shorts, and has bandage-like material wrapped around his arms and legs. "Hey there sister!" He greeted his master.

Just as Aquarius was set to attack Angel she saw Scorpio and then stopped abruptly, with Lucy looking surprised at this. "Scorpio?" Aquarius asked.

"Aquarius!" Scorpio grinned and made a sign with both of his hands by closing his two middle fingers and extending out his thumb and then the next moment they were both in each other's arms without a care in the world. "It seems like you got a cool owner, now why don't we spend some time together, whaddaya say?" He asked.

"She's vain and self centered, but we can forget that, right Scorpio?" Aquarius stated, ignoring Lucy.

"Hey, did you really have to say that about me?" Lucy fumed and then shrunk as Aquarius glared at her in a threatening tone before they both began walking towards the setting sun.

"Please don't think about disturbing my next date Lucy, I'm taking a vacation with my _boyfriend._" Aquarius put the emphasis on boyfriend to rub it in again and Lucy was really annoyed now that Aquarius had kept on rubbing this in day after day. Then they both began to disappear in a gentle glow of golden light, making typical love noises to each other.

Angel seemed almost amused at the sight of it and then got closer to Lucy. Then she smacked her gently and she fell into the river, quickly getting herself up again and looked into the face of Angel. "A Celestial Spirit user who doesn't know their Spirits relationships, it really is pathetic." She sneered at Lucy.

The blonde Mage got back up and drew out another Golden Key, knowing that she wasn't done yet and then summoned another Spirit. "**Open - Gate of the Lion: Loke!**" Lucy chanted and then summoned the smartly dressed Spirit and former member of Fairy Tail, with Hibiki looking on, impressed to see that Lucy had a spirit of that calibre.

"I don't know what your problem is with Celestial Spirits, especially for someone as good looking as you." Loke stated and Lucy initially looked worried about what he was saying. "But I'm not going to let you harm the Mage who I made a contract with, someone who is also my friend." He declared firmly and glared at her.

Angel began laughing, not at Loke but for what was going to come next and she would really enjoy it. "Then I suppose you don't mind if I do this then." She stated and took out another Golden Key from her costume and although Loke was certain about who it was he had a very bad feeling about this, and those bad feelings would be confirmed. "**Open - Gate of the Golden Ram: Aries!**" Angel chanted.

"What?" Both Loke and Hibiki cried out in surprise and watched as a bell noise rang out.

Aries was a young women with short pink hair that looked like it had been fluffed up at the bottom of it and there were two small golden horn like protrusions in her hair and her clothes had a wool like theme to them. She was wearing long white gloves with wool around the wrists and her sleeveless outfit had wool around the neck and the bottom of it. She was wearing a short woolly skirt and light shoes.

"L… Loke?!" She let out a cry of surprise.

"Aries?!" Loke was equally surprised.

Hibiki recognised those Spirits. "Those should all belong to Karen Lilica! How did you get them?" He demanded of Angel.

Although she was holding back more laughter she couldn't help it and then began laughing again. "It's funny to see you acting like that, though I suppose you should know. The reason I have them is because I was the one to kill Karen Lilica." She announced with a sinister smirk on her face and then both Loke and Hibiki displayed shock at the pride in her voice.

"You?!" Hibiki asked, suddenly angry by this revelation.

"That's right it was me. The poor woman tried to summon a second Celestial Spirit but sadly was unable to and expended too much of her Magic Energy, it was really quite pathetic to see her squirm around and try to select a spirit." Angel admitted, raising both her hands in such a smug fashion.

_Damnit, this is all the fault of Celestial Spirit Wizards! I hate them all! _Hibiki thought and felt the influence of Nirvana suddenly. _They're the reason Karen died! _He thought in a way that was not unlike that of an ultimatum and then blinked hard suddenly, remembering what would happen with these kinds of thoughts. _For a moment there I was going to lose myself to Nirvana, don't let yourself get stuck with those thoughts. _

"Aries, take that Spirit down!" Angel ordered sharply and Aries gave a really timid nod.

_I can't let them fight each other, not after what Karen did to Aries! _Lucy thought and then attempted to force Loke's gate to close but got nothing in response. "What's going on Loke?" She asked as they saw them both looking at each other.

"Lucy… don't force my gate. I don't not appreciate the gesture but we have to do it." Loke stated firmly as he got the ring on his hand ready for a fight with Aries, despite Lucy's body language screaming otherwise. "We were summoned by our contractors, so we have to fight, right Aries?" He asked.

Aries nodded in reply and then got ready to fight, with Angel smirking on. "We may be close to each other, but right now we're enemies and because of that we will have to fight each other for our Pride!" She declared and then Lucy took several steps backwards, recognising that they were going to do this come what may.

Angel then began smirking. "Are they seriously going to fight? This is awesome!" She grinned and then sneaked out a silver key, who only her knowing.

Loke's ring then began glowing a bright golden and then he tried to punch Aries with his ring and then Aries jumped delicately out of the way. Loke got up, having nearly fell into the water and then fired several bursts of Regulus at her and then Aries responded by summoning a wall of wool and blocking all of the blasts of Magic, though there was several gaping holes in them and the wool disappeared.

"**Wool Bomb!**" Aries cried out and then gathered a massive amount of wool to surround both of them, and Angel was hidden from the view of Lucy and Hibiki. She saw then that Loke had avoided being caught up in the wool itself and then went in for a direct attack.

Loke then began to gather a great deal of light into his ring. "**Regulus Impact!**" He chanted and then attacked with a powerful lion made of light, intercepting the attack that Aries had made and they both attacked again, with Aries being sent out of the ring of wool and Loke following her quickly.

Angel then quietly summoned one of her spirits. She had summoned Caelum, a mechanical Spirit shaped like a sphere with a halo-like circle at top. The center of Caelum's default body is in a darker shade of gray than the rest of its body and there is a small white circle with a smaller light green circle inside, giving it the appearance of an eye.

"It would appear that Aries is a non combatant spirit. She's at a disadvantage when up against Loke, so on my signal you shoot through both of them, understand?" She asked and Caelum replied with a signal of noises to indicate that it understood and transformed into its Cannon Form and took aim.

Just like Angel had said, the battle was turning in favour of Loke who managed to get a few hits in but from watching it you could tell that they were both holding back some of their strength as to try and not deal each other fatal blows. Even then Loke was gaining the upper hand and they both ended up circling the battleground right until they were directly in the line of fire and Angel nodded once, then Caelum fired a blast of green energy that pierced through both of them, and Lucy and Hibiki were greatly shocked by this turn of events.

"Lucy, I'm sorry about the way things have turned out." Loke apologised as his body began disappearing in a glow of golden light.

Aries looked on at Lucy and smiled in a way that could only be described as happy for Loke. "As for me, I'm glad that you have a kind owner like Lucy." She admitted and then they both disappeared.

"Are you impressed to see that I can summon two spirits at once?" Angel asked.

Lucy looked at her angrily. "I can't believe that you actually like this sort of atrocious act!"

Angel didn't seem too fazed. "What's so bad about that? Celestial Spirits can't die."

This was making Lucy tear up over this awful treatment. "Why does that matter? Just because Spirits are unable to die doesn't make them any less human! Celestial Spirits have emotions as well! I don't understand how you can call yourself a Celestial Spirit user!" She countered harshly and Angel paused.

It was only a brief pause as Lucy took out a key to summon Taurus. "It's time to get a moovin!" Taurus cried out and twirled his axe in his hand.

"Take her down!" Lucy commanded and pointed at Angel.

"Gemini, you know what to do." Angel responded and summoned the twins again who this time turned into Lucy once more.

"Oh Taurus, please stop this attack." The fake Lucy cooed and Taurus jerked suddenly as he was falling for Lucy's charms and she then pulled up the short green shirt that she was wearing and Taurus instantly became smitten with her. She then grabbed Caelum who had transformed into its sword form and attacked Taurus once and tore through him.

"My apologies Luuucy." A subdued Taurus mooed as he disappeared back to the Celestial Spirit World and Lucy began to feel fatigued after doing multiple summons in a row and moved her legs apart to support herself.

Gemini took Caelum in her hand and began hitting Lucy hard with it in its sword and began to assault Lucy with it, striking her from left to right. Amazingly, despite all of the punishment she took none of the blows were hitting hard enough and that meant Angel had decided to play with her for now until she got bored.

Angel was watching the whole time and began laughing at the look on Lucy's face. "This is great, how does it feel to be beaten up by yourself?" She asked.

Lucy looked up at her before speaking. "I want you to release Aries from her contract." She demanded and Angel stopped smirking, wondering where this was going. "She was serving an abusive Mage and then another one came and used her for her own gain too, so release her! Releasing her from her contract will also allow her to stay with Loke!" Lucy demanded.

Angel considered it for a moment. "You forgot to say please, that's what someone should beg for when they are about to die!" She commanded, and knew that when it happened that she would get Lucy's Keys as well including several Golden Zodiac Keys.

Lucy looked at her with nothing but contempt. "I'll pay whatever price you name as long as Aries is freed from her contract. Please promise me that!" She stated.

Angel thought about it and smiled again. "If you say so." She replied, not really intending to stick to her word. "As for the price you mentioned, I'll take your life in return for freeing Aries, now kill her Gemini!" Angel demanded and Gemini raised the sword form of Caelum and then halted suddenly. "What's wrong with you idiots? Kill her already!" She shouted and began glaring at the spirit.

"I… I can't." Gemini responded and then began shaking. Now when they spoke they spoke in their normal voices and not the voices of the ones they disguised themselves as. "I can see her memories… how she cares for them…" Gemini muttered and several memories flashed by of a younger Lucy playing with her Spirits and having so much fun as well as some of her more recent experiences where she fought with them. It made Gemini realise what they were doing was wrong and they were crying. "Deep down… this person loves them very much…"

Angel almost screamed out of frustration. "No! Get back you useless Spirit! If you won't do it then I will!" She shouted loudly and cast them both away.

Lucy thought she was safe for a moment until Hibiki came along and began holding her back, and was holding a hand across her throat, making her gasp in surprise and Angel let out a short laugh. "So it's going to end with the Alliance of Light tearing each other apart! Perfect!" She glared at Lucy, her eyes wide open.

Hibiki then began to speak in a hushed tone. "Don't move, I'm going to upload an advanced Spell but it'll be one shot so put everything you have into this okay?" He spoke quietly and Lucy struggled a bit from beneath as he put a hand to her forehead and he began to speak up. "You know, it wasn't easy to keep myself from going over to the dark side but I managed to do it." As Hibiki spoke Lucy's forehead

Angel looked on at him in surprise. "Then that was faked?" She asked in surprise and looked at the light that was shining from Lucy's head and the blonde haired Mage was gasping as the size of the Spell began to fill her head.

Hibiki fell backwards as he let the rest of it unfold and silently wished Lucy good luck. _I was almost pulled into the darkness but it was the love that Lucy shares with her Celestial Spirits that saved me. _He thought.

Around her, Lucy saw the current area become a strange section of space with multiple planets surrounding her. Angel was seeing it as well and looked around in surprise. "_Survey the Heavens, Open the Heavens… All the stars, far and wide… Show me thy appearance… With such shine."_ She began and the tone of her voice suggested that she was in a trance. "_Oh Tetrabiblos... I am the ruler of the stars… Aspect become complete… Open thy malevolent gate. Oh 88 Stars of the heaven... Shine!_"

At this, Lucy opened her eyes to reveal a Golden Seal in them and began shining a bright white colour. "**Urano Metria!**" She shouted and a wave of energy surged and all of the planets began glowing a bright white colour and engulfed the surrounding area in a white light and the raced closer towards Angel, dealing massive damage.

Angel fell into the water from the sheer force of the spell.

Snapping out of her trance, Lucy looked at her for a moment, not remembering what she had done and then turned her attention towards Natsu. "Hey are you okay?" She asked.

"Muh… Lucy… help please…" Natsu groaned as he was clearly motion sick, however…

Lucy gaped in surprise. "Natsu the raft is not moving and you're still getting motion sickness!" She cried out in shock and heard a noise from behind.

Turning round she saw that Angel was standing up with an angry look on her face and Caelum floating next to her in Cannon Form and pointing at her. "I am… one of the Oración Seis. I won't… lose. FIRE CAELUM!" She roared and the gray cannon pointed at her and began charging up a beam only for the shot to curve around Lucy and hit the rocks behind Natsu and he started moving again.

Angel was furious enough to dismiss Caelum and then ran out of Magic Power. The exhaustion made her fall backwards. "My prayer… is to fade in the sky like an angel." She released as she fell backwards… straight into the water. "And instead I get wet." She scowled.

Brain, who was closing in on Jellal's location stopped suddenly as he felt Angel releasing her prayer. "Angel as well? This is getting troublesome." He thought and then continued to find Jellal as another one of his tattoos disappear on his face and body.

Floating in the water Angel had a scowl on her face. "I'm still alive you know Brain." She snarked at him.

Meanwhile Lucy had managed to get onto the raft and had managed to get Natsu into a better position. "There you are Natsu!" She smiled at him and heard Natsu mumbling something that sounded like a thank you. "Now this doesn't look so bad." Lucy said and then the raft tilted slightly and both of them found themselves being swept away by rapids with Lucy complaining about something. A moment later they found themselves both hurtling over a waterfall.

**WOW, I didn't expect to see this chapter goin up so quick in a million years. So anyway… have a wonderful Xmas and New Year when the next chapter will most likely come up, seeing as it's mainly down to other things as well.**

**Next Time on Guardian Fairy - Specter**

**Two members of the Oración Seis have fallen, and with Nirvana already activated by Jellal, things are about to take an unexpected turn. As the Plate draws Rex nearer, its influence also brings up a different sort of pain.**


	30. Specter

**There is going to be more of Rex in this chapter, so don't worry if anyone's concerned about that. I know exactly how I'm going to do this whole arc so it may be completed in three chapters, but don't quote me on that.**

**Previously on Guardian Fairy - **

**Garchomp: **That was a painful fight for sure! After managing to make it through the Dead Grand Prix we met up with Lyon and Sherry from Lamia Scale and continued to go after Racer. Lyon came up with the plan to defeat Racer by working out his Magic but Racer activated a bomb with every intent to kill us. Lyon saved us and apparently died. We tried to find him but Sherry then attacked us for some reason and I had to knock her out.

**Rex: **What made this worse was the fact that Nirvana is now active. Meanwhile Hibiki contacted me to let me know that Natsu returned with Wendy and I'm currently carrying on with Locke. Hibiki and Lucy then encountered Angel, who had killed Karen Lilica, the previous owner of Loke and the others, though it was through the use of Gemini to copy Lucy that she met her downfall.

* * *

**Chapter 30 - Specter**

When Carla began to fly away quickly with Wendy Marvell, her first thought was to find a safe place in preparation for the awakening of the young girl and ended up flying to a mountain side and looked over at everything. In the distance she was watching the pillar of light and caught a few brief glimpses of someone walking through the forest and then turned when she heard the sounds of Wendy waking up. "What happened Carla?" Wendy asked, and sat up slowly after doing so.

"Well, after you finished healing Erza, Hibiki knocked you out to prevent you from falling under Nirvana's influence and then we encountered a member of the Oración Seis and I took you to a safe place." Carla informed her of the situation. Much to Carla's surprise, Wendy didn't get angry over the fact and appeared nervous instead. "Is something the matter child?" Carla asked.

"Well… it's just that I have been wondering about whether or not I should have come here." Wendy admitted and looked down to the ground, thinking about what she had done.

Carla huffed and crossed her arms. "There is nothing you should blame yourself for, child. That sort of thinking is why Hibiki knocked you out. I just told you that." She scolded her lightheartedly and Wendy looked at her in surprise. "What's happened has happened and there is no changing that. Right now we can only look towards the future and improve it."

Wendy considered it for a moment before speaking up. "You're right about that." She admitted before calming her internal emotions and looking out over the forest. "I never really told you about Grandeeney did I Carla?" She asked and the female white cat shook her head. "When I first met her I was lost and alone, I was crying and she took pity on me and then began to raise me, so when she disappeared I cried for a long time and wandered around trying to find her."

Carla thought for a moment when she fell silent. "Is that when you met Jellal?" She asked quietly and Wendy nodded.

_A young Wendy was crying and lying on the road. There was a small voice that called out to her and she looked up to find a young male who had short spiky blue hair and had a red tattoo on the right side and was wearing a short sleeved shirt and carried a backpack on his back with several short Magic Staves on them. "Why are you crying?" He asked._

_Wendy sniffed before responding. "I was trying to find Grandeeney but I am lost!" She stared before crying a lot again and the young boy looked down at her curiously. When the boy offered her a hand she stopped crying and began to look up at him suddenly._

"_Don't cry like that please." The boy stated and Wendy looked up at him. "What's your name?" he asked and smiled._

_Wendy looked up at his smiling face and remembered the time she had spent with Grandeeney. This boy reminded her of her dragon parent and then she stopped long enough to reply to her. "My name is Wendy." She replied._

"_Wendy huh?" The boy replied in consideration and then thought for a moment as if considering what name to use. "Then you can call me Jellal. You can come with me if you want to." Jellal introduced himself and Wendy took his hand and was helped up._

"_Are you on your own?" She asked, looking around as if expecting more people._

"_Yeah, but that's okay. I can take care of myself." Jellal replied and then Wendy smiled, having not done so for a while after finding out that Grandeeney had vanished suddenly. The two of them had travelled for a decent time until they found themselves in a rocky like area and had actually managed to encounter some plant life, including large leaves._

_Wendy was beginning to stumble from the heat and Jellal took notice rather quickly. Jellal then turned to one of the groups of the large leaves and then snapped it off before giving it towards her. "Take this and carry it above your head. It'll keep you cool." Jellal advised and she did as he instructed, and then he watched as Wendy felt herself getting better and grinned back at Jellal._

"_Thank you for that." Wendy replied and then carried the leaf with her strength._

_They continued carrying on travelling next to each other until they were in a forest like environment, and it had been several days since the young Jellal had helped Wendy to cool off and Jellal was frowning in concentration. This was something that didn't go unnoticed by Wendy and she began to feeling nervous and Jellal noticed that she was being much quieter than usual. "Is something the matter Jellal?" Wendy asked nervously._

_Jellal turned to face her quickly and the boy began to smile again, trying not to feel worried. "No it's okay. I was just thinking about something." He passed it off and acted a lot happier, though his smile was a bit forced. Noticing something suddenly off a long distance he turned around quickly and uttered one word. "Anima!" He cried suddenly._

_Wendy jumped in shock and looked at him in fear. "What's Anima?" She asked._

_Looking back at her, Jellal shook his own head. "Don't worry about that. What is important right now is that you need to get to a safe place." He said sharply and like before the tone in his voice startled her once more. "I know of something, there is a Guild nearby known as Cait Shelter. They can keep you safe until the danger passes." He explained quickly._

_Wendy looked on in surprise. "Wait, what do you mean about that?" She asked and began to get upset over what was going to happen. Looking upwards she saw the serious look on his face and it was also a look that told her to trust him._

Carla looked surprised at that story. "So you came across Cait Shelter because of Jellal?" She asked, and was frowning about that, mainly because of the fact that Jellal was also the one who had managed to infiltrate the Magic Council as well.

Looking back down at the ground beneath her Wendy nodded in reply. "That's right and that was also the last time I had seen Jellal. I've been trying to find him since then and nothing but bad things have been said about him." She frowned and looked over at the place around her.

Carla stood up. "I think it's time for us to get going child. If you want to find Jellal we have to hurry." She said in a much calmer tone and Wendy stood up in agreement. Carla picked Wendy up from behind and began flying towards the source of the light, determined to get to Jellal.

* * *

**With Erza**

Erza Scarlet was walking through the forest and was hoping to find Jellal until she ended up with a sudden feeling like she had noticed where someone was. _I recognise that Magic… it was belonging to Jellal! _She realised and quickly ran towards the source of the Magic signature. Erza put on a fast pace, not wasting a moment she summoned two swords to cut through a tree and it fell down.

Putting away her swords, she clenched her fists at the memory of the events that transpired in the Tower of Heaven. Rex had knocked her out because he selflessly used himself to stop the Tower of Heaven and had almost paid the price. Right now her reaction was uncertain, mainly because she was unsure how this was going to turn out, especially when he would find out. _Jellal, I have to know. _She thought and could see that the light was getting larger and entered the area. Erza gasped.

Jellal was standing there at the light and looking into it. As Nirvana was being released it sent up a powerful wind around it, and then over it he seemed to hear the footsteps of Erza and then turned around slowly, with her looking on in surprise as he faced her. "...Erza." He stated, staring at her blankly.

Cobra was surprised to see that Erza had turned up here and looked surprised. _What? But I bit her and spread a poison in her arm. How on earth did she manage to survive that, and also manage to negate it completely! _He thought and then looked prepared to spring were it not for the scene going on ahead.

Jellal was facing her and looking on silently as he heard the roar of Nirvana behind him. Erza didn't take a step forwards but instead tried to call out to him. "Jellal, what happened to you? Don't you remember being defeated by Rex?" She asked in shock, shaking slightly on the spot.

Jellal paused in a way that told everyone nearby that he was considering his answer. "Rex? Who would that be? The only thing I can remember is the name Erza." He stated, and frowned as if not getting it yet.

This was a surprise to both of them, not least Erza who just gasped audibly at this revelation. Cobra let out a low frustrated growl. _You're kidding me? You mean that the events that took place at the Tower of Heaven completely wiped out his memory? _He thought, almost angrily and waited to see what was going to happen next.

Standing still, Erza looked almost dumbfounded by that revelation. "What? That's impossible!" She cried out and took several sudden steps forwards, almost angered by what had happened. "You can't have just forgotten everything except that name. Don't you remember anything else about the Tower of Heaven and the time we spent together? Any of our friends Wally, Millianna, Shô and Simon?" She shouted at him, in an angry tone.

Jellal considered this for moment and looked at Erza. She then clenched her fists together. "One moment you wanted to save me, the next you were going on about reviving Zeref, making others slave away for eight years. Then not too long ago you ended up killing Simon! Don't you dare say that you have forgotten that!" She let out and pointed an armoured finger at him.

There was a small gasp that escaped the lips of the blue haired man, and he acted as if such a thought never crossed his mind. "I did all that? But… I can't remember. Why can't I remember?" Jellal asked her and there was a look of desperation in his eyes.

Cobra watched as he saw the fists release themselves out of surprise and then Erza walked over towards him. This made him start to panic, especially if she planned to take his life in return for everything he has done and then moved out from the shadows, revealing himself to the pair of them and Erza glared at him with a scowl. "How did you know the exact location of Nirvana?" He demanded.

Whilst he looked at the tanned male who had come out of hiding, Erza stood protectively in front of him. "I can only vaguely remember the voices. Of those who wished to find Nirvana, and so I resolved to destroy it." He claimed and Cobra took in a sharp hissing breath. "I don't know how, but I just did. Nirvana is a deadly Magic that should never be used." Jellal stated to the pair of them and then revealed a complex magical circle that had appeared behind him on Nirvana and was spreading out in the form of a series of red circuits. To finish it was a large purple complex circle in front of it.

Turning back to face them he looked at them in a calm, serene way that suggested he was ready to accept what was about to come. "You…" He said this specifically to Erza. "...I don't remember who you are, but I understand that I caused you great suffering. For that I can only wait for the destruction of my own life so that you may be free from the sadness and hate you have for me." He replied and then revealed a similar purple circle of his own and fell down on the floor.

Recognising what Jellal had just placed on it, Cobra began to panic again and then ran over to the tree and began pressing it on a number of different keys on it and then growled in frustration. He was also keeping an ear out for what this amnesiac Jellal was going to do and stopped to look at him as if he were insane. _No! If both of those circles goes off then Nirvana is history! _He thought with anger.

* * *

**With Lucy**

After their unexpected trip through the rapids and down the waterfall Lucy had been rendered unconscious and was now waking up, groaning for a moment. Upon gaining full consciousness she looked around her in surprise. "What the heck?" She cried out as her outfit was completely different.

Lucy's hair was now tied up into two pigtails, held together by a small blue looplet. Her clothes were now a blue outfit with regular golden lines and then a golden heart lines along them and her short pants were now that of a darker blue colour. The top of her shirt was tied up in a golden heart shaped piece of jewelry tied with a white ribbon. She was now wearing a pair of dark blue tights and golden shoes.

"Good evening Princess." Virgo intoned monotonously. "I used up a bit of my Magic getting through to this world and found you and Sir Natsu out cold. I also took the liberty of changing your clothes." She explained and pointed at him.

"Huh, this get up is really weird." Natsu complained and looked down at him. His scarf was still tied around his neck and his upper body was dressed in a sleeveless shirt that had the exact same design as Lucy's, though the lower half of his body was different and there was a white ribbon was tied around his lower left arm. There was a thick yellow stripe running down each of his arms and it came down to four leaf like patterns. Natus's trousers were now an orange colour and he wore a pair of tall blue and gold boots.

"It's the latest fashion in the Celestial Spirit World, and I decided to dress both of you up so that you'd look like a couple." Virgo added, teasing just a little bit.

"We're not dating!" Lucy protested.

"Oh? So then you'll punish me for bringing you the wrong clothes?" She inquired. "If you desire then I'll take them off of you and put your old clothes back on." The Maiden suggested.

Lucy didn't like the prospect of being naked again. "No, these clothes are fine. What's more is that I don't feel up to punishing you right now." She added firmly.

"Very well. Until we meet again Princess." Virgo stated, then disappeared in a golden glow of light.

Lucy let out a sigh of relief and then realised something. If Virgo did indeed use her own Magic to get through her gate then she had none left and let out a small groan. A rustle sounded from the bushes behind them and Natsu looked ready to pounce until they parted to reveal Garchomp and Gray, with an unconscious Sherry being carried over her shoulder.

"Thanks goodness it's you. I was worried we'd run into another member of the Oración Seis." Lucy sighed and let out her tense muscles.

Garchomp let out a low growl. "It wasn't easy though, going to face off against Racer. Lyon stopped him from killing us all but… we can't find his body." She admitted, and both Natsu and Lucy assumed the worst had happened.

They had contrasting views on the matter. Lucy had covered her mouth with her hands out of shock and Natsu pounded the ground angrily. Before he could say anything though Sherry had regained consciousness all of a sudden and then chanted, "**Doll Attack: Wood-!**" She began but stopped when Garchomp pinned her to the ground. "Let me go! I must avenge you for what you did to Lyon!" Sherry shouted in anger.

"What exactly was it that they both did to me?" A voice asked, and they all turned to see Lyon standing with his white coat on and dragging the unconscious Racer behind me.

"Lyon!" Gray shouted suddenly and got a smirk in reply. "But what happened? We assumed you were dead!"

Lyon threw the body of Racer out in front of the group and looked at him in disgust. "Well if I hadn't acted any sooner I would have been dead. After tackling him over I wasted as little time as possible and put as much distance as possible between the two of us and the bomb before it exploded, though I can't say I didn't feel it." He admitted.

Sherry looked at Lyon and was shaking from his sudden appearance and then a black aura surrounded her and it vanished in an instant. "Lyon… but I…" She began and was unable was to comprehend what was going on. When he had initially showed up she was confused, almost expecting for it to be a fake Lyon.

"Did you really expect me to be dead Sherry? How amusing." Lyon noted. "So what's up with her anyway?" He asked the others, namely Garchomp and Gray because of them also being involved in the fight against Racer.

Garchomp was the one to answer them. "This is the work of Nirvana most likely. After we saw you apparently dying she began spouting a lot of nonsense about how we were the ones responsible for your death and attacked us." She explained and put a gentle claw underneath her body and lifted her up. Lyon stretched out a hand and Sherry took it quickly.

* * *

**With Rex**

They were making good progress towards the light and basing it on his sight alone they were less than several hundred metres away from Nirvana though were coming from a different angle. Locke noted an improvement in his overall mood and there was no doubt it was probably because of the fact that Erza was better. "If we keep this pace up then we'll make it to Nirvana in no time and I'll finally get to see Erza again!" Rex cried out in a victorious tone.

Locke was also smiling faintly and then looked ahead. Sensing a sudden Magical presence coming their way he drew his own bow and fired seemingly at the air in front of Rex and then a red orb appeared, catching the arrow and exploded within the sphere before the Magic was sucked into the center and completely negated it. This made the Guardian stop suddenly and they both saw Kelsier standing in front of them, with the red orb from previously appearing in front of him.

"I put a Spell in a place to alert me if you came too close to me. Luckily for me I get to play a little. Brain needs Nirvana to spill the world into chaos. But for the Guild I work for, you're the one I need alive for our little plans." Kelsier freely admitted with a wave of the hand. "Of course I don't expect Brain to actually succeed, but Nirvana does need to be active long enough for that to happen."

Rex got annoyed by how much he was kept in the dark and switched into the Fist Plate. "What exactly are you talking about? I demand that you tell me!" He ordered in a threatening motion and was held back by Locke's outstretched Silver Bow.

Kelsier began to laugh, and it was a deliciously sinister one for him as well. He then made a zipping motion across his mouth before pretending to unzip it to say one last thing. "Make me." He taunted them both before pretending to zip it up again and held up an outstretched hand in preparation for the fight that was about to follow.

_That's it, I'll make him! _Rex thought and then fired an Aura Sphere from his hand at Kelsier who caught it and then sent it back at the pair of them but it flashed white in the center and then split into six separate orbs that had been covered by the power of the Aura Sphere and they both scattered as several explosions sounded off.

"**Rocket Shot!**" Locke chanted and then fired an arrow at him that ignited after it left the bow and soared towards him.

Kelsier gave a snort of amusement and then held out his own hand, the red orb appeared in the air which did the same as before, negating the arrow and making it implode. "Have you forgotten my Implosion Shield? Any Magical attacks that pass through it are useless." He commented before unleashing two white orbs that split into half a dozen others and they both spread out over the immediate area.

The bombs exploding and they both ended up taking the force of them all and after that they both tried to get their balance and began a plan of attack. "**Sonic Shot!**" Locke cried out and fired a pair of arrows coming in from two different directions and Kelsier made the mistake of not using his Implosion Shield to destroy it and felt the noise coming from it and winced.

Realising that Rex was going to attack he turned around and his right gloved had lit up and threw a punch that met Rex's Brick Break and the resulting shockwave threw Locke off balance and he nearly was about to be flung away were it not for the ripple of blasts that was forced in the direction of Rex Vermend who had blocked them all with Detect.

Locke then fired another Rocket Shot directly into Kelsier's back and it exploded, making him stumble forwards though not fall over completely and he turned to face Locke. "Huh, not a bad tactic. But I'm not going down as easily as the fools of the Oración Seis, they're all bark and no bite." Kelsier shrugged and then created a white bomb and flung it into the skies where it spread apart into half a dozen smaller bomb that began raining down from above.

Locke opted for dodging them and Rex used Protect to shield himself. "Oh no, you won't prevent your own pain that easily. **Breaker Bomb.**" He chanted and fired a light green bomb at the Protect. It stuck to the shield and then promptly exploded, sending multiple green cracks along it and then a second explosion shattered it completely. The pieces of the green shield then flung towards Rex and impacted him.

"What, but how did that break through?" Rex demanded of him.

Kelsier began to laugh, this one was a lot louder than last time. "Did you honestly expect to stop my attacks? I have developed several spells with my Bomb Magic for both offensive and defensive purposes, though I use as few as possible." He explained.

Locke raised an eyebrow as he heard about it. "Bomb Magic is incredibly powerful Rex. Don't underestimate it." He advised and then switched to the Darkness Bow and then fired several purple and black arrows towards Kelsier. Locke observed as the Implosion Shield went up again and remembered what Kelsier had said a few moments ago and began charging forwards to attack directly.

_A physical attack? Let's see what he can do then. _Kelsier thought in amusement and began dodging the punches that Locke began throwing, stepping backwards to avoid an uppercut and moving to the left as an arm made contact with the air. Kelsier then snatched it and held it in place. "**Force Blast.**" He chanted and pressed a hand against Locke's chest and a second later he was blasted backwards.

Getting up, Locke saw Rex attacking him with Razor Shell and Kelsier jumped backwards, only to find a tear on the left side of the cloak. "Hmm, you're fast one Guardian Fairy. I never expected to see that coming." Kelsier drawled, looking at them both in an amused tone.

"Enough screwing around!" Rex demanded and then raised his hands and created a Whirlpool in a shorter time than when he had first done so and then threw it towards Kelsier, using Ice Beam to freeze the outside of it, and inside one could still see the swirling water.

Creating a larger white orb he threw it at the frozen whirlpool and the explosion rippled through it and splashed water everywhere. Rex got the opportunity and powered through with Volt Tackle after switching to the Zap Plate and managed to smash Kelsier through three trees and then quickly got back. Ignoring the recoil he looked at Locke who was standing up, though was quite wet.

"I'm okay, his physical strength is not good for us either. It would be better to use ranged attacks, but if you wanna punch him you gotta do so hard and fast." Locke noted.

Both of them saw Kelsier emerging from the wreckage of the trees and brushed himself down. A few stray sparks were flowing around his own body from the electricity but dispersed in a matter of moments. Walking back over them he looked at those two in an unreadable expression before pressing a button on his Voice Modification Lacrima and the mouthpiece moved away. "You really have gone to hell Locke, haven't you?" His smooth voice rang through the clearing. "But you've always been the analyst. It never changes."

This made Locke stop in surprise and he let out a faint gasp. Rex looked over in surprise at him and watched as the burgundy haired male began shaking from shock. "What… but Kell…" Locke stammered in surprise.

Kelsier had a neutral look on his face. "What made you think I had gone?" He asked mildly and then growled at Locke, losing his composure for the first time to them. "Don't act like you're some sort of saint now Locke just because you're part of a legal Guild." Kelsier hissed at him.

Rex was about to attack Kelsier when Locke held out his bow in anger. "Go and find Nirvana Rex, I can handle Kell here." Locke stated, and glaring at him, though it wasn't one of anger. Instead this was one that told him to not interfere, there was something more to this.

Clenching and then unclenching his own fists, Rex knew that if this fight was going to go on for much longer without him then Locke was going to lose plain and simple. But he didn't know what was going to happen if he ever did decided to interfere and then nodded once, though it was uncertain. "If you know what you're doing then I can't stop you." Rex replied and then used the Sky Plate to start flying towards Nirvana.

Turning back to face Kelsier, Locke looked coldly at him. "To think we were once allies, both working on the same side. Now we must take up that mantle as enemies now." Kelsier said poetically.

Gripping his bow tighter Locke looked at Kelsier in a cold fashion. "Shut your mouth! What about you and working with the Oración Seis?" Locke shot back accusingly.

"Touche." Kelsier conceded and chuckled in amusement. "Shall we keep on talking or are we going to pick up where we left off?" He wondered and saw that Locke was drawing his Darkness Bow back and preparing to use a Spell.

* * *

**With Erza**

Whilst Cobra was still trying to cancel out the Self Destruction Circle that Jellal had put in place the purple Seal on it turned a turquoise colour in the center and it began to slowly spread towards the outside where it would detonate and the results would be calamitous for anyone within range which would turn out to be a decent sized chunk of the whole forest. _What is this the twentieth combination I've tried? _Cobra thought in frustration.

Erza was lying down next to Jellal who was still adamant that he had to die because of what he had done. "You fool! You cannot just let yourself die, not when you have sins that you need to repent for!" She begged of him though it would appear that Jellal had no intention of budging. "How can you still be at peace if you're going to die? Live Jellal!" She demanded of him and thought about hitting him.

There was a deep snorting sound from behind. "Pathetic." Brain stated.

"Boss, you're here!" Cobra jolted suddenly and looked back at the circle. "If this thing goes then we're toast!" He pointed to it.

Brain however was looking at Jellal in amusement. "It would seem that you really do have no memory about what you did. I don't just have to name Brain for no reason, after all I was the one who taught you the Self Destruction Circles, Jellal." He revealed and both Erza and Jellal looked up at him in shock, with Cobra looking at him in admiration. Then Brain pressed a few keys in the purple circle and cancelled it completely, also undoing Jellal's.

Turning to Jellal, Cobra looked at him with a smirk on his face. "But we still need him to use Nirvana right?" He guessed. Cobra guessed wrong.

"Jellal was needed to help find Nirvana and activate it." Brain responded, surprising Cobra as he moved swiftly on an invisible keyboard through Archive Magic and managed to wrest control of Nirvana from Jellal. "Now Nirvana, reveal your true form!" Brain declared triumphantly and the ground began to shake.

After a moment it began to rise up and Erza and Jellal ended up being separated from Brain and Cobra, though that was not as important as making sure that they managed to get through this first and then look around for Brain later. She clung on to him as tight as she could.

* * *

**With Locke**

Locke had fired several arrows a Kelsier, who had dodged them all with ease and had an almost disappointed look upon his mouth. "Come on now Locke, is this the extent of your new power? You were much stronger back when…" He began and then was nailed by two Rocket Shots to his chest and he took a step backwards.

Looking up he saw that Locke was glaring at him coldly, though the feelings of the Archer were not enough to fall victim to Nirvana. It wasn't that Locke was angry, because he was. His feelings were more of a resolute determination to put something behind him. "Never mention that again." Locke demanded and then fired several normal arrows at him and they bounced off the mask.

Kelsier gave a snicker of amusement. "Like the mask? It was something I could get a hold of thanks to the Master. Maybe I could arrange a meeting with him and we'll have a big old ch-" He was interrupted when Locke then fired an Arrow Storm and he sighed, before firing a white orb that exploded and scattered them away from him.

Deciding to try and finish this quickly, Locke ran forwards and separated his bow and then attacked with his Cross Slash Spell, landing a hit this time and managing to create another tear in Kelsier's outfit and it was looking worn out this time. Turning round he fired a close range Sonic Shot into the ground next to him and the painful noise was louder than last time.

"**Rocket Shot!**" Locke cried out and fired a blazing arrow that erupted in his face.

Kelsier gave a slight nod of interest and got up, brushing his torn cloak down as he did so. "Hmm… perhaps I was wrong. You're stronger but not as ruthless as you were." He admitted and then a circle appeared from an outstretched hand and a white orb appeared, before staying there as Kelsier wanted to talk a bit more. "You like my Blast Bomb? I love how it splits into six smaller ones as my command." He added before firing it and it split into six again and they all pounded Locke.

Locke was thrown backwards onto the floor and his Darkness Bow was cracked in a few places, though it wasn't something that would make it shatter yet and he opened his eyes to glare up at him. "I ain't… gonna lose… because…"

"Because you're a member of Fairy Tail?" Kelsier mocked and grabbed Locke, pulling him upwards. "You did always put a smile on my face, and now-" He began and then a rumble filled the area. Kelsier wasn't certain of what it was at first but then grinned as he realised what was going on. "Perfect!" He shouted and then dropped Locke.

"What is?" Locke growled.

Kelsier gave a mock sigh and pointed to something that was rising off of the ground and it was also bringing something up along with it. "Nirvana. I hate to say it but I have to go and do stuff right now Locke." He switched the Voice Modification Lacrima on. "Goodbye now." He stated before throwing down a black sphere that created a lot of smoke.

When the smoke cleared, Locke saw that he was long gone and got himself up again. Noticing that one of the things that Nirvana was pulling up was getting closer to his own location, Locke fired a Grappling Arrow at the side of the leg that was nearest to him and was pulled close towards Nirvana. _Damn you, Kell. When we do meet up next time, I'll be the one to finish this._

* * *

**With Natsu and co.**

Their group was making their own way through the forest when it started to rumble near them. "What's going on now?" Lucy cried out in fear.

Garchomp buried her tail on the ground and felt the vibrations running through the ground. Sensing that they were getting closer towards them she took off into the air. "Everyone brace yourselves!" She shouted at them and then they were swept off the ground and onto a brick leg that was coming from Nirvana.

Natsu was holding on but was not feeling well. For some reason his motion sickness was acting upwards. "Help… guys… can't… move…" He began complaining, much to the annoyance of everyone else.

Gray was easily the most annoyed by this. "Come on Natsu, this isn't a mode of transportation. Don't think of it like one!" He pointed out when the rising of the legs how stopped and they began to move.

Much to the surprise of everyone Natsu actually listened to what Gray had said and managed to ignore it, even going as far as getting up on his feet. "Okay, ignore it. I CAN DO THIS!" Natsu roared and began running forwards really fast.

"It actually worked." Gray replied in surprise.

Gray unfortunately had jinxed it and they all saw Natsu stopping suddenly. "I can't… help… please…" He complained and then began sliding off of the side of Nirvana.

"What?" Gray and the others began fearing for Natsu.

Natsu was falling through the air and Garchomp dived down initially to catch him but then a shadow of a familiar cat appeared out of nowhere and caught Natsu. They all saw as he regained his sense of balance and was being carried by Happy who had sensed that his friend was in danger and shot towards him at high speed. "Thanks for the save Happy." Natsu grinned at him.

Happy grinned back. "Aye sir."

Garchomp let out a sigh as she circled the two of them. "You two. I swear that you can give us extremely annoying headaches at the worst of times." She initially scolded them and knew that this was useless. "Come on, we gotta get up as quickly as possible. I saw that Locke was currently making his way up as well, though it would appear that Rex is not with him." The dragon reeled off, looking to her left.

The true form of Nirvana was that of six legged city, and the six legs were attached to a giant rock. At the top of the city stood a place that could only be described as a king's place. Not too far away from them but also close towards Erza and Jellal than the other groups were Carla and Wendy who had flown up one of the legs and then they both landed in the city.

"This thing is incredible. It's like a moving city!" Wendy cried out and looked over the edge, though was not too close to it so that she would fall over.

"Yes, but this city is under the control of Brain remember?" Carla stated and Wendy turned back to look into the city. "Speak of control, where is this thing going?" She wondered out loud.

Feeling the ground beneath them move again, Wendy looked out towards the woods and then had a horrible feeling in her gut. "Carla, I think that… for whatever reason… Brain is targeting Cait Shelter!" Wendy came to that startling conclusion and Carla was equally surprised. "We have to find the others."

From below them stood Lyon and Sherry. Neither of them had any Magic left to spare after recent events and so they decided not to go aboard Nirvana, but that didn't discourage them any less. "Good luck, Fairy Tail. Let's go Sherry, we have to see if there are any other members of the Alliance still here." He told her and Sherry nodded in response.

* * *

**With Rex**

Having made his way onto the city, Rex was looking around in some of the buildings in the hope of finding the others. Then he felt the pull of the Plate again and then saw something unexpected happened that made him gasp. It was the fact that a quadruped canine Pokemon with a mixture of yellow and blue fur and red eyes, there was no sign of it making a sound but he wasn't concentrating on that.

"Manectric…" Rex whispered, shaking slightly from fear on the spot and took a step towards the Pokemon he had lost to Kyogre and then it appeared to also move through a wall. "WAIT!" Rex cried out and began following it, breaking through several walls in the process. "Manectric, hold up!" Switching to the Earth Plate he used Drill Run to power his way through several more building until he got towards a strange mish mash of buildings.

They were joined together with their own small garden and in it stood a deep purple Plate and Manectric ran right into it. Rex stopped as he realised which one it was. _The Specter Plate, but how did it end up here within this? Or did it end up already here years ago or not too long ago? _He wondered and then rubbed his head, now officially getting a headache from its presence and he touched it. It flashed three times and then disappeared, flowing into Rex's body.

"N… no!" Rex spat out in refusal and felt a lot of negative energy overcoming his body and began rasping out in pain. This wasn't like the Dread Plate, it felt like a different kind of evil and Rex tried to refuse the power that was flowing within him.

When the glow radiating from him had faded it revealed that Rex's skin had gotten slightly paler and his hair was white as a sheet and spiked out a lot over his head, with some of it covering up his right eye entirely. His left was purple and the sclera was completely black, giving off a rather creepy move. He was now wearing a light purple-blue jacket with a thick black line running down it in the center, branching off at the top of it. The jacket was also ripped at the sleeves, revealing more of his pale skin, and at the back were three pairs of short bone like protrusions shaped like spikes curving downwards. The trouser he was now wearing were more of a gray-purple and they were also ripped above the ankle and was barefooted.

"This is interesting." Rex spoke and noticed that there was a slight rasp in his voice as he did so. "So let's give this Forme a shot." Turning instantly to where the Specter Plate once rested he formed a deep purple and black orb and fired. Satisfied he smiled and then began running back the way he had came and wondered if that meant he could become intangible and fly like most other Ghost types.

Bracing himself he ran right through a wall, and he didn't feel any pain. "Phew, I was hoping for more pain." He admitted before switching to the Sky Plate and he began to fly up in the air and looked around to see what was going on, and then spotted Brain and Cobra high up at the king's place in Nirvana. "Okay poison breath, I'm going to give you something to remember me by!" He said this as the sun was setting.

* * *

**With Brain**

A top of Nirvana at the king's place stood both Cobra and Brain, the former of whom was looking over the area and grinning at the fact that the Oración Seis had the giant machine under control. "This is incredible! With Nirvana under our control we can finally plunge the world into darkness!" Cobra gloated, with only Brain over hearing him.

"Not yet Cobra. We have to go after a certain Legal Guild first before we can achieve that goal." Brain responded and then began pressing some keys on a control pad for Nirvana, which was different compared to Archive Magic.

"What do you mean by that boss?" Cobra asked, having no idea of what was going on with Nirvana and then found himself listening in on Brain's thought and then broke out into a grin again. "Okay, I get your drift now. Still, we have Nirvana and we're in control of it!"

Brain acknowledged the point with a nod and continued to work his fingers over the keyboard and then an orange sign came up and the perimeter of the area was surrounded by a line of small orange hexagons with a yellow circle in the middle of them. They both watched as Nirvana began to shake and move in a slightly different direction.

Something that wasn't going to go in their favour was a cry from above. Cobra was too busy admiring the work of Brain to realise that the cry came from Rex who had fired a Flame Burst from above and Cobra turned around suddenly. "Boss! Company!" He reported and Brain looked up to see that he was flying at them with a determined look on his face.

Cobra swatted away the Flame Burst and the attack veered off somewhere into the city. Rex landed but was still ready to fight should he need to. "The fact that both of you are going to make my job a lot easier." Rex grinned at them.

Cobra gave an amused snort in reply. "That is if you can get past me. I'm surprised that girlfriend of yours is still alive." He taunted back and Rex gave a glare at him. "It's gonna make it all the more better when I kill you myself." Cubellios then gave a hiss as the dark skinned member stepped onto her.

"Don't you remember what he said?" Brain asked out loud and Cobra scowled upon hearing his thoughts.

"At this point I don't really care, as long as I get to beat him up badly it'll do just as fine." Cobra grinned and then nodded. "By the time that person finds out the Guardian Fairy is dead it'll be too late for him to do anything about it!" Cubellios then hissed and shot forwards and Rex flew up into the air, with Cobra moving about on her so that he didn't fall off.

"**Shadow Claw!**" Rex shouted and then a pair of large black claws formed on his hands and flew directly at Cobra and began swiping at the air, trying to land a hit on him.

Cobra smirked as he could hear where he was trying to attack from and then Cubellios moved to avoid it, as if Cobra had made an unspoken command. Even when Rex was attacking from upside down he could hear what he was trying to do and avoided each strike. "Didn't I tell you once before I can hear your moves before you make 'em!" Cobra shouted out loud and threw a punch just as Rex was flying to left and hit him right in the stomach.

Rex reeled from the blow and then put some distance between him and the two of them. _Crap, I gotta think of something fast to strike him with. Maybe if I tried attacking him with two separate attacks that could work. _He thought and then flew towards Cobra with a Shadow Claw in one hand and prepped his mind for a Night Shade.

Cobra smirked at this. "I know what you're going to do. You're gonna try and hit me with two separate attacks." He stated out loud just as Rex was about to swing, making him stop in surprise. This allowed Cubellios to smack him with tail and let out a hiss.

Rex then fired a Metal Burst at him and saw that Cubellios was flying upwards and reacted almost instantly, shooting forwards into an Aerial Ace. Cubellios then began to fly away and he carried on trying to attack him with the increased Speed given from Aerial Ace. Rising upwards he did a sharp turn and began diving downwards.

Cobra braced himself for this and began glowing a deep red crimson as he dived down. "Not yet. NOW!" He shouted out to Cubellios who then moved backwards slightly and Cobra slammed the palm of his hand into one of Rex's wings, infused with his Poison Dragon Slayer Magic.

Rex cried out in pain as he felt the a burning sensation from the wing and fell a bit before trying to right himself and gain some height again. _That sensation. I know of it all too well unfortunately. _He gritted his teeth and ignored the poison, shaking it off. Though what certainly didn't help was the fact that the wing felt slightly weaker than last time.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten about my Poison Dragon Slayer Magic already." Cobra smirked at him. "You're gonna get a good taste of it, I don't give a crap about Kelsier and what he wants." He snorted for good effect.

Down in the city, the aforementioned Mage looked up to see that Rex was battling Cobra and he gave out a scowl of annoyance from the ground. _So it's Cobra against the Guardian Fairy? I hope Cobra loses, because that'll teach him a lesson about interfering with my plans. _Kelsier thought with an amused smile on his face and then began moving toward the king's place.

Rex flew back up to Cobra's level, faintly amused by what he had just said. "And have you forgotten about how I can counter you poison?" He replied and Cobra looked on in surprise, giving him just the distraction he wanted. Switching his Ability to Serene Grace Rex then fired several Air Slashes at Cobra who put his arms up to defend himself.

Luck was on Rex's side as the 60% chance to flinch worked it's magic (heh) and Cobra flinched, unable to move for a moment and was then attacked with Wing Attack and then Cobra felt the power of Shadow Claw, angled in such a way that it was critical hit and Cobra was thrown off balance and began falling. Cubellios saved him though and he got back up. "Nice trick, catching me off guard with that statement, but it won't work twice." Cobra replied.

_He's right, but right now that is the best chance of me actually winning the fight. _Rex thought and then looked towards Cubellios. If he was going to stand a chance then he realised that he would have to take out Cobra's companion. _Okay, looks like I got a plan. _He thought.

"If you have a plan why don't you try and execute it?" Cobra replied smugly and move his legs apart, ready for whatever was going to happen next.

Looking directly at Cobra, Rex's eyes glowed red as he used Lock-On to place a glowing red target on Cobra's chest. "**Mimic: Stone Edge!**" He called out and two rings of stones materialised around him and then fired them all towards the two adversaries who looked ready to avoid it.

Cubellios flew upwards, but as the small stones passed them they changed their track and began following the two of them. Still hearing small disturbances in the air Cobra turned to see that they were still behind and didn't lose any speed. "What the-? Quickly Cubellios!" He shouted and the snake seemed to hear the panic in his voice and then increased his Speed and weaved in and out of the stones.

It still wasn't doing any good, they were going to hit him if nothing was done and so Cobra decided to get rid of them. Once Cubellios was nice and steady he sucked in his breath and then a dark red Seal appeared in the air. "**Poison Dragon's Roar!**" Cobra shouted out loud and then unleashed a powerful stream of Poison directly at the Stones.

Despite not being very effective against the Stone Edge it did it's job with it and Cobra looked on as none of them were there. Then he felt a strange sensation overtake him and felt a blast of energy directed at him from below and looked down to see that Rex had used Night Shade on him and Cubellios dived down to meet him.

"You're not going to get rid of me that easily!" Cobra shouted and his fists began glowing a deep red colour. Seeing the Guardian Fairy's fists also glowing white they both then engaged each other in close quarters combat.

Hearing the thought of Rex, Cobra then blocked both of his Mach Punch attacks and moved quickly to avoid being hit by them. Their clashes created a small but powerful shockwave in the air, even though neither of them managed to land a successful hit on the other yet and from below, Lucy and the others saw the mid air brawl. The three of them were to soon be joined by a certain flying cat carrying a certain Fire Dragon Slayer.

Landing next to the group, Garchomp let out a small grunt as she felt the pain from Racer again. "I'm not flying anymore. I can still fight but it'll have to be on the ground if I do." She pointed out to the others, as the affected fins were still too sore from before.

They had both thrown a punch and were forced back from each other when they heard the sound of Natsu yelling from below. "Alright Cobra, I'm going to get back at you for what you did!" Natsu roared and almost immediately afterwards an orange Seal appeared in the air that was followed by his Fire Dragon's Roar.

Cobra dodged it and then also avoided a Mach Punch from Rex and then Cubellios began to edge backwards, hissing and opening his jaws in case they got too close to her friend. Rex sighed as he flew towards Natsu. "Well done you flaming idiot. I was about to go through with something and you ruined it."

Natsu looked at Rex, raising an eyebrow. "Really? Well now that there are more of us I'm sure you can still do whatever you wanted to do to him." He grinned, holding two flaming fists at Cobra who seemed amused if nothing else.

Cobra then grinned in amusement. "How do you exactly plan on doing that Salamander? The first time we met each other you were defeated easily by Racer. You can try what you want but it'll still fail." He taunted him.

This riled up Natsu and Happy almost thought about charging forwards until they were held back. "Natsu, he is also a Dragon Slayer. More to the point he uses Poison Dragon Slayer Magic. If you get hurt badly by it then I can't help you." Rex advised.

Natsu took it in for a moment. "Okay then, got ya. Then we gotta go long range." He stated and then flew upwards and Cobra got ready to dodge what they were going to do. Raising his arms above their heads, Natsu prepared a large fireball above his head. "**Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!**" He roared and fired one.

Cobra smirked as he dodged it on Cubellios. He could hear Natsu growling in frustration and then heard the sound of more fireballs raining down from above and dodged all of them. This time he knew that there were other opponents and then avoided an Air Slash coming from his right and Cubellios circled a Flamethrower that followed it upwards.

"Come on Happy, we need to get closer if we wanna hit him."

"But Natsu, what about Rex's warning?" Happy questioned seriously.

"I know what he said but if attack Cobra cloaked in fire then I'll be safe from the poison!" Natsu reasoned, actually using a part of his brain for once.

"Aye sir!" Happy agreed, upon hearing Natsu's reasoning and he began to dive down.

Having heard what Rex told Natsu, Cobra smirked. "Smart move, keeping away from me to avoid being poisoned. But given that I can predict your attacks it's useless. You still won't hurt me." He gloated and heard that Natsu was coming in closer.

Launched by Happy to gain extra power, Natsu was cloaked in flames and heading straight for Cobra. "**Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!**" He cried out and the flames intensified slightly.

Turning around to face him, a deep red Seal appeared in front of Cobra. "**Poison Dragon's Fang Thrust!**" Cobra shouted in response and from the Seal came forth a fang made of venom that blocked Natsu completely. Cobra then threw Natsu to the side and saw that Happy had caught him.

Natsu was beginning to pant from the effort and then began to inhale and was ready to use his Fire Dragon's Roar again and watched as Rex turned himself into a shadow and began charging Cobra. "**Fire Dragon's ROAR!**" Natsu shouted and unleashed a wave of fire at him.

Having heard that Cobra dodged it with little effort and watched as the flames hit Rex, smirking all the way as he watched Rex get burned quite a lot. "Geez did you really expect me to fall for that. I told ya I can hear your voices, what part of that don't you get!" Cobra growled at Natsu.

There was another person also annoyed at this and he had just been attacked by Natsu. "At least try to hit him instead of me!" He groaned at him and then fired a wave of white flames at Cobra and it was twice as strong as when Natsu had used it in an attempt to hit Cobra and saw that it wasn't successful. "So you say you can hear our voices? I don't believe it, are you sure that isn't some form of Telepathy?" Rex asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, besides I doubt that you can guess what I think about right now!" Happy defied Cobra, who addressed the small blue Exceed with a look.

It took Cobra merely seconds to listen and realise what Happy was thinking about. "You're thinking about eating fish." He replied gruffly, annoyed at what was going on.

Happy gasped in surprise. "He really can read our minds!" He reply, jaw dropping literally.

"Oh, is that so?" Natsu hummed and then grinned as he thought of something and Cobra then turned to face him. Rex was also reading his mind using the Mind Plate, curious to see what exactly he was going on and there was dead silence, with Happy not being able to hear Natsu, who was telling some sort of joke.

Cobra made a noise and then held his hands up towards his mouth in order to control his laughter. "Okay, that was a pretty funny one." He acknowledged and then gave out a slight laugh.

"Hey!" Happy protested, still not happy about being unable to hear it. "What was that about?"

"That's something for when you're older." Natsu waved it away, and Rex looked on in surprise at this.

There was a snort from Cobra who looked annoyed at this bickering. "Are you seriously going to do that all day?" He asked and then immediately began to cast a Spell. A deep red Seal appeared and many small disk like projectile began to sail towards them.

Rex deflected all of them that came his way using Gust to create a wind that deflected the various Poison Dragon Scales away from him and made it so that they were circling around him and kept moving his hands before pointing them both quickly at Cobra and they all began sailing in pairs at a much faster rate.

Whilst this was going on both Natsu and Happy was flying away from them quickly and tried going around to attack Cobra from a different direction. His reasoning was that Cobra would be unable to defend himself from both sides and Natsu created a large fireball above his head. "**Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!**" He shouted towards Cobra and fired it

Cobra who was already having to avoid the redirected Dragon Scales heard Cubellios hissing and spotted the large fireball out of the corner of his eyes and ordered Cubellios to gain some height to which he did and then another deep red Seal appeared. "**Poison Dragon's Twin Fang!**" He yelled and aimed at Rex who was rapidly approaching and created two snakes out of poison and fired directly at him.

Rex yelled in pain as he felt the two snakes pounding him multiple times and was also being affected by the poisonous secondary effect as well. He was definitely feeling weaker as well, which was not looking good. There was one way to do so, though it was going to take up more of the energy granted to him by the Plates. "Don't worry about me Natsu!" He cried out, voice weakening.

Glaring at Cobra, Natsu got back up. "Without your little friend there what hope do you have in defeating me?" Cobra taunted him and could hear that Natsu was getting angry.

"Don't think about underestimating me!" Natsu roared in disagreement and then Happy began flying forwards towards Cobra and both of his fists lit up on fire and then began swinging at Cobra who looked on and avoided all of them. "**Fire Dragon's Flame Elbow!**" Natsu roared and thrusted himself forwards with a burst of flames.

"Get back Cubellios!" Cobra cried out and Cubellios dove down for a moment and then went up to deliver a powerful kick to Natsu and then grabbed his head with his hand, infusing it with poison and searing Natsu's face. Then he threw them both down.

"Ack, what is this?" Natsu groaned and began panting, feeling his face go extremely fuzzy from the effects of the poison. "I can't feel my face." He complained and coughed.

Cobra gave out a malicious grin. "Like the effects of my Poison Dragon Slayer Magic?" He grinned. "It'll corrode at anything. Right now Erza Scarlet would be dead if she weren't healed." He taunted and Natsu returned a fierce glare. This was what Cobra wanted and he got ready to start fighting them again.

Flying a distance aways to get out of range of Cobra's hearing Natsu and Happy began discussing a plan. "Man this guy is going to be tough. So any ideas about what we should do?" Natsu consulted.

"Here's an idea. We could fake a left when really we'll strike from the right." Happy replied with a smirk on his face. Natsu agreed in reply and they began to fly towards Cobra, both if Natsu's fists lighting up.

Cobra gave a look of disbelief on his face. _Geez, I've heard this plan so many time before it's kind of pathetic. _He thought and then stopped them both in their track by saying, "You're going to attack from the right by faking a left." Cobra reeled off in an almost bored tone.

"Dammit!" Natsu roared and then began throwing a bunch of reckless kicks and punches at the Oración Seis member, though none of them were making any sort of connection yet. The lack of hits were beginning to really get on Natsu's nerves to the point where he wasn't thinking at all and then Cobra unexpectedly took a hit from the right side.

Reeling backwards on Cubellios, he only had a moment of shock before Natsu delivered a powerful kick to the right side again and this was followed by a Fire Dragon's Flame Elbow that connected to Cobra, blasting the two of them backwards a few feet. "What the hell is going on? He's attacking but I can't seem to read his thoughts!" He gasped and then a revelation struck him. _Wait a second…_

Happy was also surprised at this as well. "Don't tell me he's actually not thinking?!" He gasped and didn't do anything except support Natsu in the air who began to go for an attack.

Cobra began to chuckle, amused at this development. "Hey, this might actually be interesting for once!" He smirked and then casted another Spell. "**Poison Dragon's Spiral Jaw!**" Cobra chanted and then jumped into the air and spun to deal two blows to Natsu and Happy.

As Natsu felt more of the poison he began to try and get back up to attack him again but Cobra dodged all of the once he landed on Cubellios and then the purple serpent then attacked Natsu with her own tail and he was going down. "**Fire Dragon's Talon!**" Natsu roared and then tried to attack with a powerful blazing kick but ended up missing again.

"Come on Natsu!" Happy stated urgently before letting out a cough. "Can't you concentrate on not thinking?"

"I'm trying too, but he threw me off with that sudden attack!" Natsu protested before Happy was forced to fly away from Cobra and Cubellios, who were starting to chase them. Below them there was a sudden glint of light.

* * *

**With Lucy and co.**

Whilst this was going on, Lucy and the others were looking around the city of Nirvana in hopes of finding something. "Do you think that Rex and Natsu are going to be okay?" Lucy asked, looking up at them worryingly.

Garchomp turned to also look at the purple serpent in the air. "We have to trust them. Rex can think of way to defeat Cobra, that's where his greatest strength lies. Being able to use strategies and combinations." She replied and there was only a mild look of surprise on both of their faces. Sniffing the air she picked up the scent of some people.

They were met by Jura, who broke out into a smile when he saw them. "It is good that we have found you lot. I was expecting to find the remaining members of the Oración Seis or that other person." Jura admitted.

The three of them were stunned to see that Richard was behind them and also sharing in the friendliness. "The feeling of reuniting with those you hold to your heart! Oh yeah!" Richard bellowed out.

Garchomp immediately got into a defensive stance but Jura stood firm. "I can see the expressions of anger on your face, but don't worry. It would appear that Richard as he wants us to call him is on our side now." Jura explained, and didn't move from his position.

A sinister voice then spoke up. "Hoteye… what is this?" Midnight asked, taking several slow steps towards them. "We should be following Father's orders and taking out the Alliance of the Light." he reminded Richard and just stared at them in an expressionless tone.

Richard boldly stood out in front of them. "No Midnight. I was not a fool like you and I realised that money means nothing when you have love. I am no longer called Hoteye, but Richard." He replied and watched the young slim man carefully as he spread out his legs.

Realising what had happened, Midnight began to gather Magic around his hands. "So you've defected from us. Very well then. You can die with them." He stated maliciously and then spread his arm out in an arc, slashing at the very air of the Magic.

"Stand back!" Richard ordered and used his Earth Magic to lower the ground suddenly and the buildings behind them broke apart into many pieces. "You should go and find Brain, the Oración Seis are all equal. I can defeat Midnight."

This was a statement that surprised them and then Garchomp was the first to recover from it. "You heard Richard. We need to get moving." She spoke quickly and then helped Lucy and Gray to get out of the pit whilst Jura used his own Magic to get out without a trouble. Garchomp tested her fins and realised she could only glide with them for a limited time otherwise they would act up, so there was no chance of joining Rex and Natsu.

* * *

**With Rex and Natsu**

Cobra looked on in amusement as he and Cubellios were right on the heels of Natsu and followed their every movement thanks to his expert hearing and could see that the blue cat Natsu was hitching a ride on was getting slower. A thought then crossed his mind. "Hang on a minute. If you're riding that cat shouldn't you get motion sick? Isn't he a vehicle?" He asked.

Natsu turned around almost immediately. "What do you mean? Happy isn't a vehicle he's my friend!" He snapped in reply.

_The logic is strange but kinda cute. _Cobra admitted, letting out a half chuckle. Then his hearing warned him of someone approaching fast from below and waited before shouting "Incoming!" to Cubellios who narrowly avoided getting hit by a fast flying Rex Vermend.

Utilising the power to wield two Plates at once, he had decided to put on the Iron Plate as well as the Sky Plate. The hair and outfit was that of his regular looks with the Sky Plate, however the hair had become a steel like colour and the outfit was more contrasting than normal with the outer layers being a silver gray colour and the inner layers being a dark blue colour. The pair of small shields on his shoulders had also appeared to mesh with the suit. The most striking thing about this combination was that there were a pair of four silver blade like wings with red underneath them like a Skarmory.

Cobra saw the smirk on Rex's face and wasn't liking where this was going. "What are you so smug for?" He growled.

"Come on Cobra, can't you tell? As long as I am using the power of Iron your poison is going to have no effect on me." Rex replied, and was full of confidence as he knew what to do and then looked at Cubellios before his wings grew in length and he began to attack Cobra with Steel Wing, cutting through the air with some force.

"But I can still hear you!" Cobra growled and then initiated his Poison Dragon's Spiral Jaw and attacked Rex multiple times with his spinning legs. Landing back on Cubellios he was shocked to see that the poison wasn't doing anything to Rex and then he began to feel drained from the battle.

Natsu then rushed in impatiently and then tried to attack, only for him and Happy to be swatted back by Cubellios. "I'm feeling parched. Cubellios, it's snack time!" Cobra shouted and the serpent gave out what could only be called a gleeful hiss and then began to dispel a large cloud of deep red poison that slowly but gently spread out across the area.

"Get back Natsu!" Rex warned.

There was a grin from Cobra as the began to eat all of the poison cloud and heard the same sound as when Natsu was eating his own element. "Now there's a fire in my belly." Cobra smirked off handedly.

"Hey that's my line!" Natsu protested in anger.

Rex turned to face him. "Then eat this if you have to!" He growled in annoyance and hit Natsu with a Flamethrower just to shut him up and Cobra looked surprised to see that Natsu was eating it.

Happy wasn't as pleased with it, having accidentally been singed by it. "Could you try to avoid me please?" He requested, losing a bit of height from the sudden blast.

"Next time I will but right now we gotta take down one this guy." Rex stated and that was the assurance that Happy needed to get ready and they both turned to face Cobra, thinking about the way to defeat him. _If he can hear our voices… then that means…! _Rex thought and then grinned. "Ability Change: Soundproof." He stated and then golden glowing writing appeared on his lower arm.

_Soundproof? _Cobra thought and then tried listening onto his thoughts only to find that he was getting nothing from Rex. _Wait a second… why can't I hear his thoughts? _Cobra quickly realised and then began to both panic and feel interested by what was going on.

"Cobra doesn't use any form of Telepathy, I've just realised that he uses Sound Magic instead, so I can make that useless through Soundproof. Any attempts to use Sound based moves on me won't do a thing." Rex explained to Natsu. Then he charged forwards with Steel Wing again and then followed Cubellios as he went upwards.

Natsu also charged upwards with two flaming fists and this time Cobra could hear it, and avoided both of them, only to receive an Iron Head from Rex who then followed it up with a shining silver tail that knocked Cobra off of Cubellios. "Natsu! I'll defeat Cubellios whilst you handle Cobra!" Rex shouted to them.

"Alright then, I'm all fired up now!" Natsu grinned in reply as they both separated from each other. "Here I come Cobra!" He roared at him and charged forwards with two flaming fists.

Turning back to face the large purple serpent, Rex grinned and saw that Cubellios was hissing angrily at being separated from her partner Cobra and then spat out a cloud of poison at him, only to look in surprise as it was blown back right at her with Rex seemingly unaffected by it. "What's the matter, snake eyes?" Rex asked in a cocky tone and that only aggravated the serpent further.

Cubellios then charged towards him and Rex performed a barrel roll to avoid being struck by her and then countered by using Crush Claw and digging into her wings and then threw her by spinning in the air and flinging her just below him. As the serpent was regaining her balance she was then hit with a High Jump Kick to the jaw and felt pain shoot through her body.

Rex watched her forking out her tongue and hissing angrily in an attempt to be intimidating and then began to swishing her tail through the air. "So you want more punishment then?" He asked, and then groaned inwardly as he sounded like Virgo for a moment before resuming his own battle by using Night Shade and dealing damage equal to 100 HP to Cubellios and the began gathering a purple wind around his arms. "**Ominous Wind!**" Rex cried out and then struck Cubellios with two smaller purple tornadoes and watched as she was thrown between the two of them.

Meanwhile Natsu was charging forwards with his arms ablaze. "**Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!**" He roared and then sent two spirals of flame towards Cobra who was unable to do much in the air and could only move his arms up to block it. However the poison that Natsu had been taking was draining away his Magic Power slowly and had weakened it by a lot.

"Heh, that poison is slowly sinking in Salamander, You're getting weaker all the time." Cobra smirked and then inhaled. "So I wanna show you the power of the second generation!" He grinned triumphantly before a deep red seal appeared. "**Poison Dragon's ROAR!**" Cobra shouted as he unleashed a powerful deep red tornado at Natsu close range.

"AAAAAAHHHHH!" Natsu roared loudly as he felt a strong burning pain coursing through his body. This sudden increase in volume made Cobra jerk slightly but otherwise was okay. Happy wasn't faring much better either and began to fall down a lot from the lack of strength. "Second… generation…?" He asked, looking at Cobra.

When Natsu got hit by Cobra's own Roar, Rex turned to face him. "Natsu!" He cried out, ignoring Cubellios who made a beeline for Cobra. "Damnit, I'm coming Natsu!" He shouted and began to pursue the large purple snake with speed and saw that she was now supporting Cobra again and also that Natsu was in trouble.

"Second… generation…?" Natsu asked and felt himself being supported by Rex and that his motion sickness was teetering, mainly because he wasn't riding him. "What's that? Ngh…" He moaned and struggled with his motion sickness again.

Cobra gave a smirk. "Heh, didn't you know? There is more than one way to become a Dragon Slayer." He stated. "I got my Dragon Slayer Magic from a Dragon Lacrima implanted into me, this makes my Dragon Slayer Magic much stronger than a first generation Dragon Slayer like you Salamander." Cobra smirked.

_So he's just like Laxus then. _Rex thought and then looked at Cobra with a smirk on his face. With the way things were going he needed to take Cobra out and fast. Switching his ability to Aerilate Rex charged forwards at the pair of them with Crush Claw and then began raking Cubellios with the powered up move whilst also avoiding the blows that Cobra was dealing.

"I don't care if you're a second generation. I ain't gonna lose to you!" Natsu shouted rather weakly and then was thrown by Happy with two outstretched hands. Despite not being able to summon much fire, he did manage to tackle Cobra off of Cubellios who was trying to hit Rex.

The dark skinned male then let out a grunt of annoyance. "If that was your last attack then it is pitiful. The poison is going to kill you before you can defeat me." Cobra stated, though he wasn't exactly perfect he was in far better condition than Natsu.

Natsu was getting really angry that his plan had been foiled and then did something that no one participating in the fight could have expected. He began to literally roar as loud as possible and the sound hit Cobra more than anything else had done up to this point. "RRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Natsu roared and continued doing so for at least half a minute in which time the roar had changed dramatically. It become less human and more like a real dragon from Fiore.

Brain was watching the fight from afar and looked surprise at the turn of events. "This roar, it sounds like that coming from an actual dragon now. Incredible, so this is the power of the first generation. Amazing." Brain noted before moving to where he saw Natsu and Cobra falling down with an idea in mind.

Knowing that the fight was over, Rex had spotted Lucy and the others, accompanied by Garchomp and he flew down quickly to them. "What happened to all of you?" He asked, before finally being able to resume his normal Forme and let out a sigh of relief.

"We ran into Midnight of the Oración Seis, but Richard who was formerly known as Hoteye decided to take him on and let us find the other members." Jura replied and for a moment, Rex looked surprised at hearing that a member of the Oración Seis was actually on their side and wondered if Nirvana was the cause. "Is Natsu going to be all right?" He asked in a concerned tone.

Looking back, Rex nodded with uncertainty. "Well, I have no idea where Wendy is, but as long as she can find him then Natsu will be okay." He replied. "Where are we going now?"

"Dunno, wherever we can find this Brain guy, and a way to stop Nirvana." Gray replied and was still half naked.

From the result of the battle, the three of them were lying on the ground and Cobra was currently unconscious, still reeling from that literal roar. Happy was lying back to the ground and was shaking from the fear of what was going to happen. "Oh no… not only is Natsu suffering from the poison… b-but he's also motion sick…" Happy cried out, feeling frail from the poison.

There was a noise nearby him and standing over Natsu with a look of anger on his face was Cobra, shrunken irises. "For the pride… of the Oración Seis… I will not let you defeat me!" Cobra growled, taking a deep breath and then raising a hand and gathered poison around it in preparation to strike Natsu down.

* * *

**Phew, that was a long battle. The twist may come in the next chapter depending on how things play out with the length of the chapter. Or it might happen in the chapter afterwards.**

**Next Time on Guardian Fairy - Darkness Within**

**As Cobra is about to attack Natsu with the intent of killing him, Brain unexpectedly decided to step in but with what purpose? The battle between Midnight and Hoteye rages on as Nirvana is also getting closer and closer towards Cait Shelter!**


	31. Darkness Within

**Nothing much to say other than the fact that when the next arc comes around I'll post a special opening instead of the usual greeting and recap. I got that opening completed in one evening, so don't worry!**

**Previously on Guardian Fairy -**

**Rex: **Locke and I continued to run through the forest but we ended up running into Kelsier and in a dramatic turn of events, both of them knew each other somehow. I don't like it, but I had to go and during the time Nirvana began to change into a large moving city. The ones who got included Natsu, Lucy, Gray and Garchomp. I found the Specter, or Spook Plate (though I prefer Specter) in the city and then ran into Cobra and battled him, I was then eventually joined by Natsu. It was a long one but we pulled it off in the end and I also found Lucy and the others along with Jura, but then Cobra is just about to kill Natsu!

* * *

**Chapter 31 - Darkness Within**

From the result of the battle, the three of them were lying on the ground and Cobra was currently unconscious, still reeling from that literal roar. Happy was lying back to the ground and was shaking from the fear of what was going to happen. "Oh no… not only is Natsu suffering from the poison… b-but he's also motion sick…" Happy cried out, feeling frail from the poison.

There was a noise nearby him and standing over Natsu with a look of anger on his face was Cobra, shrunken irises. "For the pride… of the Oración Seis… I will not let you defeat me!" Cobra growled, taking a deep breath and then raising a hand and gathered poison around it in preparation to strike Natsu down.

Then a powerful blast of Magic hit Cobra in the back who fell down to reveal that brain had fired it from the staff he was wielding. _Pathetic, a so called Second Generation Dragon Slayer who can't defeat one of the generation before him from a common guild. You're nothing to me Cobra. _Brain thought and then smirked. "Oh I'm sorry, did you hear that?"

Cobra was beginning to shed tears at this and then looked up at Brain, with tears of anger in his eyes. "My prayer… my one true prayer… was to hear the voice of my only friend… Cubellios." He muttered and managed to stroke the serpent who had come over to him and then saw that her tongue was forking.

He began to think back to his time in the Tower of Heaven when he had been enslaved. Wrapped around his wrist was a small purple snake that he had kept as pet, one small enough not to be noticed by the guards. "Cubellios… I'm sorry." Cobra muttered before finally falling unconscious.

Natsu had managed to focus more on this than anything else and was looking furious. "You scum! He was apart of your Guild!" He roared.

Brain was too amused to notice that the next tattoo on him was vanishing. He had lost half of them since meeting the Alliance of Light. "It doesn't matter, I can always create more comrades now that I have Nirvana." He replied.

"If they're your comrades… then they're nothing but puppets!" Natsu shouted backwards, and Happy was also hearing this.

Looking down at him, Brain's brain began working away at an idea. "The strength that you possess is a very interesting one, Natsu Dragneel. I think I'll start by making you one of the next Oración Seis!" He spoke out loud and then grabbed Natsu by the collar and began dragging him across the clearing that he been created partially as a result of the battle.

Turning round, Brain saw that the other group comprised of the Wizard Saint Jura, a blue dragon and a dark haired male who had both been instrumental to the defeat of Racer, the Celestial Wizard who defeated Angel and the Guardian Fairy to which the dark clad figure wanted for his own plans and looked at them with a neutral look on his face.

"Natsu!" Gray and Garchomp cried out.

Lucy ran over to Happy and looked down at him. "Are you alright?" She asked in surprise.

Happy coughed a couple of times. "Yeah, but just as that Cobra guy was about to attack Natsu again… Brain suddenly attacked him and wanted Natsu… to become a member of the next Oración Seis." He explained, trying to cough as little.

"WHAT?!" Rex shouted all of a sudden and looked at Brain with a fierce glare on his face.

"Please… you have to stop him." Happy begged, unable to do much else due to the poison from earlier.

Likewise, Jura was not amused at all by this development and took a step towards Brain. "Is what the cat says true?" He asked rather harshly and both him and Rex began glowing a faint golden aura.

A smirk of amusement spread across Brain's face. "He will be the first of a new Oración Seis, an even greater one will aries because of the power of Nirvana." The reply was confirmation enough.

Brain let out a grunt of pain though when Natsu suddenly bit him in an act of defiance. "I'd never work for the likes of you!" The salmon haired Mage retorted and then was thrown by Brain into a wall, he then slumped forwards and groaned as his motion sickness acted up again. "Please.. stop him…"

"Wouldn't you like to know the first target of Nirvana?" Brain questioned rhetorically before answering it on his own. "It is the Guild known as Cait Shelter."

This surprised everyone, not least Rex and Jura who were standing opposite Brain. "Why is Cait Shelter your first target?" Jura questioned firmly and the anger hidden beneath his tone was what surprised Rex.

Brain then raised his free arm and began to exert a green aura. "Why should I tell you that when I am the judge of light and darkness?" He replied with a mocking grin. Looking to his left he saw that Rex had teleported to Natsu and back to the group, before letting out an evil laugh. "It would seem that I have underestimated you, Guardian Fairy. I can see why _he _wants you-"

Jura acted during this and then used his Earth Magic to throw Brain into the wall behind him with a lot of force. "Rex is not your concern right now. What do you hope to gain by eliminating Cait Shelter?" Jura demanded again, ready to strike out if necessary and took several more steps forwards so that he would be the only one engaged to Brain.

The smoke cleared to reveal that Brain was still in there and he slowly but firmly got out. "I thought that the title of Wizard Saint was merely for show, Jura Neekis. I can see that I was wrong and I won't make that mistake again." He replied, seemingly ignoring what Jura had been saying.

Still not satisfied with the answer that he was getting Jura began to interrogate Brain again. "Why are you targeting Cait Shelter? It isn't the closest to you, so through that I can tell that you have an ulterior motive." He replied.

Brain snorted out of amusement. "Why should I have to tell that to some who is about to die?" He replied before raising his staff and began to gather green and black energy into it before pointing it at Jura and a dark purple Seal appeared from it. "**Dark Rondo!**" Came the chant and fired a thick tendril of Darkness Magic that was faster than what the others were expecting.

Radiating the golden aura, Jura pointed his index and middle fingers up. "**Iron Rock Wall!**" He created three pillars of solid earth that crossed it each other in the middle where it took Brain's Spell heard on. They clashed for a moment before the Dark Rondo had faded again. "I'll ask you again, what is your motive?" Jura demanded.

Brain refused to answer and raised his staff again. "**Dark Rondo!**" Brain fired the green tendril of energy again. If one looked at it in detail they could see that there were faces on it in black that looked like they were full of despair.

"**Iron Rock Wall!**" Jura chanted and created several pillars of earth through a golden Seal of his own just like before to block the attack. "This battle is futile." He observed out loud to Brain.

Smirking, Brain muttered. "You fell for it." He disappeared and then began reappearing as a blur several times before finally becoming visible only he was behind Jura. "**Dark Capriccio!**" Brain chanted and then fired a drill like beam of Darkness Magic with a yellow line spiralling through it.

Hearing the telepathic shout of _Behind you! _coming from Rex, he turned to see that Brain had just finished gathering magic energy and then fired it. Moving his hands, Jura bent one of the Iron Rock Pillars to block it head on.

"That will do you no good, this is a piercing spell." Brain stated out loud and then the pillar the Jura had manipulated to block it smashed into pieces, forcing the Wizard Saint to dodge it. "Take back what you said about this battle being futile." He demanded and then began to form another Dark Capriccio.

"I don't know what I'm more impressed by - the fact that Jura avoided the attack or Brain breaking through the Iron Rock Wall!" Gray observed, amazed at the way this was going.

Jura looked on calmly as Brain cast the Spell again. "**Iron Rock Wall!**" He cried out and three pillars formed quickly again. Unlike last time though, the Spell broke through each pillar in a short time. Thinking fast, Jura bent another one of the pillars to deflect it and it was seen going high into the sky several feet from the Wizard Saint.

There was a look of irritation on Brain's face. "I will end this here and now. **Dark Capriccio: Scream!**" He chanted and the purple seal appeared and then a faster and stronger version of the last Spell he had used shot out from the staff in his hands.

"**Iron Rock Wall: Continuous Formation!**" Glowing gold and with his fingers pointing in front of him, Jura casted his Spell and ten pillars of solid rock appeared one after another, all of them lining upwards and the Spell then hit the first one, breaking through only moments afterwards. Each pillar began falling after 10 seconds of standing up to Brain's Spell.

When the last one had been broken there was a triumphant look on Brain's face that quickly became surprise when Jura used his Magic to quickly smash all of the rocks from the shattered wall to attack Brain. This redirected the Spell so that it narrowly missed Brain as it curled around Jura within an inch of him. The larger fragments of rock then gathered around him and were glowing the same colour. "**Supreme King Rock Crush!**" Came the cry from Jura.

They all suddenly crashed into Brain from every direction, and golden ripples of Magic emanated from where Jura was standing and the pillar responded to it. A pair of hands rose around the pillar and then clapped together defeating Brain there and then. Going over to the falling Brain, Rex looked down on him in anger. "Cait Shelter, why are they so damn important?!" He shouted angrily.

Brain didn't reply to this question. "My prayer… is that you do not fall Midnight… if you do then _that _person will…" He didn't get to say another word as Rex delivered a kick to the side, knocking him out seconds sooner than normal.

Despite receiving a raised eyebrow from Jura, Rex shrugged it off. "It doesn't matter as much. I figured that Nirvana and Cait Shelter were connected somehow the moment Brain mentioned that their first target was the Guild. It was also from the fact that you said it wasn't the nearest Guild. It confirmed my suspicions." He explained as Gray and Garchomp.

"Now that you mention it that does make sense." The blue haired Mage replied before looking down at Brain and then saw that another tattoo had faded. "Hey is it just me or are there fewer tattoos then when we first met him."

Shivering, Lucy took a step backwards. "Gray, if you're trying to scare me, it's totally working!" She complained.

There was an issue that Garchomp decided to bring up now and she laid gentle claw on Rex's shoulder. "Is something the matter? Lately you've been a lot angrier than usual. At first when Erza was poisoned that was understandable, but this…" She trailed off, not wanting to say a word.

He closed his eyes and took ten calming breaths before opening them again. "It's okay Garchomp, I'm perfectly fine. Listen, I need you to go and find Locke. I haven't seen him and I just hope he's okay." Rex instructed, pointing in the direction he thought he saw him.

Garchomp looked hesitant for a moment but nodded reluctantly and then jumped off the side and crashed into the ground. Muttering a few choice words, she got up and began running through the City of Nirvana, trying to pick up his scent.

Both Wendy and Carla came running in and she had an urgent look on her face. "Hey! I think that they might be targeting cait Shelter!" Wendy began desperately.

"Hiyah Carla." Happy greeted the white cat weakly.

She was far from impressed. "What on Earthland have you gotten into tomcat?" She asked, seeing that he couldn't even stand up.

Gray gave a smile. "Don't worry about it, Wendy. He's been taken care of." He pointed to the unconscious forms of both Cobra and Brain. Cubellios was lying on the ground next to Cobra, ignoring everyone else.

"Maybe so, but it would appear that Nirvana is still moving even if the leader of the Oración Seis is down." Carla interjected, feeling the vibrations underneath.

Rex snorted. "Clever bastard, putting it on automatic. Either that or he would've done it anyway., so we need to find the controls." He began and then heaved the body of Natsu over his shoulder, with Garchomp picking up Happy. The rest of the group began walking upwards and during that time, Wendy shot a few glances at Natsu.

"Um… is Natsu going to be okay?" Wendy asked once they had gotten deeper into the city and were walking on a gray tiled floor.

"That idiot is always like this on any moving thing that isn't Happy." Gray noted bluntly and Natsu jerked, having clearly heard that. This made Gray and the others (sans Happy and Jura) sweatdrop at the sudden movement.

Wendy felt nervous. "I can fix that with a Spell that restores his sense of balance." She announced and everyone looked at her.

"Seriously?" Lucy asked in surprise.

"Then now might be a good time." Rex replied to Wendy as he began lying Natsu face up on the floor.

"Don't waste your magic healing him now!" Carla argued.

This fell on deaf ears though as Wendy knelt down and her hands began to glow a gentle blue and an orb formed in between her hands. "**Troia.**" Wendy stated as she lowered the glowing orb over Natsu's face and it spread throughout his body.

Natsu blinked once and although he could feel that the ground was moving beneath him there wasn't a single hint of him being sickness. "All right!" He jumped up in glee and then began dancing around the area. "I feel a lot better! Hey Wendy, can you cast it on me the next time I get motion sick?" He asked, suddenly grabbing Wendy's shoulders.

Although Wendy was pleased that Natsu was able to move without getting sick she began to get upset over another matter. "Nirvana is heading straight for the cait Shelter Guild… and although we defeated Brain it's still moving!" She cried.

Letting go of her, Natsu got up and looked ahead of him. "Don't worry about that Wendy, I'll make sure that will never happen okay?" He replied and then thought about the Oración Seis.

He wasn't the only one, as Rex was hanging at the back of the group and thinking. _Brain, I already hate you for what you've done to us. But attacking Cobra from behind and thinking something that really got to him is crossing the line. Be glad that Jura was the one who defeated you or I would have done much worse. _Rex growled low at this and shook his clenched fists before quickening his pace slightly, seeing that he had fallen behind the group a bit.

* * *

**With Richard**

As the battle between Jura and Brain took place, this battle was getting heated. Richard was seemingly having the upper hand too as he saw that Midnight had fallen on the ground, looking up in surprise. "I already told you Midnight, I have realised that Brain was nothing more than a puppeteer, oh yeah!" Richard declared holding up his two fingers in a v symbol.

Midnight struggled to get up. "No… that is impossible. I cannot lose or else Father will…" He began and then seemingly vanished into thin air with use of his Magic and tried to get away from his opponent.

Richard chuckled jovially, though one could also consider it to be quite sinister at the same time. "You can hide all you want but that won't stop you from my **Heaven's Eye.**" He chanted and then put a finger from his free hand underneath each eye, which glowed a bright colour. To Richard, the world began flashing several different colours as he searched for Midnight.

"There you are!" Richard cried out and then used his Liquid Ground to fling Midnight down hard and he crashed through the wall of the building. "As long as you follow Brain you cannot hope to win, oh yeah." He stated in a calm fashion, pointing his free hand outwards.

Midnight then let out a slow chuckle that became a laugh and then got up, greatly surprising Richard. "Hoteye, what you said about the Oración Seis being equal… is completely ridiculous." Came the smooth tones and the air around him shimmered.

There was a scream of agony from Richard as he felt multiple blades of air cutting at him from every angle, and he dropped the small book he had carried out of shock, eyes growing wide suddenly. The intensity of the blades of air was such that he fell down on his knees after several moments, his hair flowing from the wind generated by the move. Once that attack had been finished he fell down onto the floor face first.

Tilting his head to one side Midnight spoke one more thing. "I am the strongest member of the Oración Seis, even more than my Father!" He noted before walking off, completely unharmed from the battle.

_My prayer… is that one day… I may find my brother and gaze on his face one more time. _Richard thought before falling unconsciousness. He then began dreaming of the short time he had spent in the Tower of Heaven and his first ever meeting with Brain.

Not quite unconscious but still unable to move yet, Brain felt another tattoo fade away from his body. _So then five of the six demons have gone. It all rests on you Midnight… do not go down. _He thought.

* * *

**Cait Shelter Guild**

The Cait Shelter lies just north of the Worth Woodsea and is large enough to be considered a small village that lies within a small plain and there is a rock formation nearby. The main Guild hall entrance looks like that of a white cat muzzle with open mouth and bared teeth, with two oval windows for eyes and there are red marking on the ears and just above the windows. On each side of the Guild hall stood two rock formations that represented cat paws with a circle pattern painted onto it. Inside the Guild Hall it looked like a pavilion with a wooden floor with fabric walls sustained by wooden beams. The furniture was exotic as the carpets and clothes all bore ornamental patterns.

Inside the Guild Hall was also where the Master, Roubaul was sitting at a desk. He was a slim elderly man who had a long white beard and mustache with sideburns going up his face and two bushy eyebrows that looked connected. On his forehead was a red dot surrounded by two vertical arches. His headgear was large and featured purple feathers with a red tip. There was a light cloth tied circling his waist, paired with loose dark pants reaching below his knees and simple shoes, also having a bare chest. Around his neck was a necklace with teeth on it.

One of the other residents of the village ran in with a desperate look on their faces and several others also showed concern, having accompanied him. "Master, we have a sighting of Nirvana heading this way, what should we do?" He asked.

Roubaul opened his eyes for a bit and then pour a drink of something into his glass. Then for some reason he began drinking out of the brown bottle instead. "We shouldn't need to be worried. The Magic of Light is still shining strong. Have faith in them." He stated.

The person who had informed him didn't look all that impressed. "But if it is heading our way then shouldn't we do something to prepare ourselves for what's coming?" He argued.

This then angered Roubaul who was drinking from the bottle. "Have you no faith in the Alliance young man?!" He demanded and the drink was pouring out of his mouth as he spoke, confusing the. "They're out there, risking their lives and you should believe in them too! So for now, we do nothing." He concluded the matter and then began to wonder if his time was slowly coming to a close and whether or not his sins will be cleansed.

* * *

**King's Summit**

The group had arrived there and saw that the place looked empty just like the rest of the city and when they looked around they all exchanged glances of confusion and annoyance. "Where are the controls for Nirvana?" Lucy asked, not liking this.

Looking around, Rex saw a pedestal and walked over to it. "Dammit, this thing is probably operated by Brain's Archive Magic. Maybe we should go back and ask him some questions." He suggested. Of course what he meant by that was use the Mind Plate to hypnotise Brain into giving him the answers they wanted.

Wendy began to think for a moment, realising that if Jellal knew how to activate Nirvana then he would know how to destroy it once and for all and began running away from the group. "I'll try and find Erza or Locke, okay?" She said out loud, turning to face them.

Although the others nodded in understanding, Carla was suspicious of this and then flew behind Wendy. "Is there another reason that you're going off like this child?" She asked once they were out of earshot, frowning.

"Yes, I think that if we can find Jellal then we can find a way to destroy Nirvana." Wendy replied eventually, knowing that it would be useless to hide it from carla and they hurried off.

Back at the summit, as Wendy was running away, the rest of the group were set to return to where Brain was when they heard a loud and familiar (except for Rex and Natsu) voice ring out in their. _Hello my friends, it is I the Mage Hoteye. _He called out and they stopped and looked around in surprise.

"Yes, we can hear you Richard, what has happened?" Jura replied.

_I am sorry my comrades, for I was unable to defeat Midnight in battle. But I know of his current location. Below the King's Summit is where he will be. If you can defeat him then you'll be able to stop Nirvana, oh yeah! _'Richard' replied to the group.

"Then let's go! The sooner we take that guy down the better!" Natsu shouted in agreement. Then he began to walk towards the area that Richard had described to him and was shortly followed by the rest of the group. Except that it wasn't Richard who had contacted them, it was Brain and there was a smirk written all over his face.

Soon they had all gotten there and found a large door. "It gotta be over here right? Behind this door." Natsu reasoned and began to try and pry it open.

Something wasn't sitting right with Rex. Because of Nirvana, Richard wanted to be called Hoteye. So if he was going to be known as Richard, why contact them as Hoteye. Watching Natsu heave, Rex felt very faint tremors coming from the door in front of them and realised what was going on. "Don't open the doors. It's a trap!"

It was too late by then as Natsu had yanked the doors open and a bright white light flooded their vision along with sudden rumbling. There was an explosion that occurred right afterwards that blew out the King's Summit completely and almost everyone there had fallen onto the ground. When their eyes adjusted to the sudden change in light they all gaped in surprise.

Jura had erected two large versions of his Iron Rock Wall Spell and had to spread out his arms and feet when casting. This left him wide open to face the full assault of the sudden blast head on. "I'm sorry… about this." Jura stated before falling onto the ground.

"Get up!" Natsu roared and looked set to rush over to him if he wasn't held back by Rex.

Gray had understood why Lyon respected him so much, especially with his fight against Brain where jura had won without so much as a scratch on him. "Don't die on us you old geezer!" He called out and then ran over to Jura. Lucy wasn't saying anything but was just as shocked as the rest of the group.

This only served to intensify the hatred that Rex was holding against Brain and suddenly felt his heart thumping against his chest. _Oh crap! _He realised when he remembered what Nirvana would do and tried focusing on the fact that Erza was still alive and he managed to calm down enough to not be affected. Rex wasn't any less undeterred by making sure that Nirvana was stopped, and he would also do it for the sake of Jura.

* * *

**City of Nirvana**

Erza and Jellal were both trying to make their way through to find someone that she knew when the explosion at the King's Summit occurred. They both looked over to see a pillar of smoke rising from the centermost point of Nirvana. "What happened there?" Erza asked out loud.

"How annoying." The voice of Midnight spoke up and they saw that he was standing opposite them. "Father's such a killjoy, taking out almost all of the Alliance members gathered there, and all I get is measly little scraps on a plate! At least I hope you won't bore me." midnight suggested and took a step closer to them.

Sensing the danger that this person was giving off, Jellal moved in front of Erza. "Stay back." He warned her and then a golden Seal appeared and he fire multiple beams of Magic, but was surprised to see that none of them had actually hit Midnight.

Looking unimpressed, Midnight waved his hand and a red line of Magic sent Jellal spinning into the air and over behind his back and he fell down to the floor with a thud. "Don't tell me you've forgotten to use Magic, Jellal." A disgusted Midnight noted and stood over him.

"Leave him alone!" Erza shouted protectively and felt her heart beating from the possibility of Rex finding out.

Midnight gave a single glance her way before looking back at Jellal. "What happened to you Jellal? You were once a powerful Mage, at least until the Guardian Fairy came along." He smirked and his red eyes shrunk a little bit. "I want to see that look of terror he gave you." Midnight took in his breath sharply from delight and prepared to use his own Magic once again.

* * *

**King's Summit**

Kneeling down next to Jura, Rex then began using Heal Pulse. "I can only heal his injuries. I cannot restore his supply of Magic Power." He stated as Jura's body was bathed in light pink rays. The focus of it was distracting him from everything.

There was a clattering laugh that ran throughout the area and everyone bar Rex stopped to see that the staff that brain was using was the one laughing. "You fools don't know know when to quit! My name is Klodoa, and I am the seventh and final member of the Oración Seis!" He declared, though his voice sounded slightly distorted.

Lucy had gotten over her initial terror upon seeing Klodoa talking. "Wait a second, seventh member of the Oración Seis? I thought there were only supposed to be six of them?" She questioned out loud.

The scene then changed to the group sitting in a classroom with a uniform on instead of their clothes (except for Klodoa) and Happy for some inexplicable reason was the teacher and standing on his own deck. "Professor Happy here! Lucy's right for a change! The word 'Seis' in Oración Seis is the Spanish for six." He explains, pointing to the board behind him. "Racer, Angel, Cobra, Brain, Midnight and Richard." Happy then paused for a moment.

Everything mysteriously went back to normal. "You're right that doesn't make sense. If you include the snake that Cobra is around with then technically that makes them eight members, right?" He asked, floating in the air.

"That's what I just said you dumb cat, and don't think we all didn't see what had happened." Lucy scowled at him.

Klodoa cleared his throat, as much as a stick could ever clear it's throat. "Anyway, Brain was a weakling only being able to take out one of you fools and now I-"

Whatever was going to follow that statement didn't come as Natsu took the staff and began repeatedly bashing it against the ground. "Hey you lousy staff, what does Brain want with Cait Shelter anyway and why is it so important to Nirvana?" He shouted, not realising that he had cut off the staff suddenly.

"Isn't that excessive force Natsu?" Lucy pointed out.

"This is Natsu we're talking about Lucy." Gray reminded her and they both sweatdropped.

Rex took the staff abruptly from Natsu. "I'll do it Natsu." He stressed the first word of that statement and Natsu backed away a little. Switching to the Flame Plate he turned back to face Klodoa who had a nervous look on his skull. "Okay then, Klodoa. If you don't tell me the link between Cait Shelter and Nirvana, I'll burn you to a crisp." Rex warned in a passive aggressive tone and began to heat up the air around him before grinning in a sadistic way that was worse than the Oración Seis combined. "And I like my firewood charred."

"Okay, okay okay!" Klodoa pleaded desperately and then was glad to be freed from his grip. He stared at Lucy intently.

"It must be so troublesome to be cute." Lucy sighed and then tried appealing to Klodoa.

After taking a moment to stare at her Klodoa said, "Too young." This angered Lucy and Rex created a Flame Burst in his mouth that made the staff genuinely afraid of him. "I'll talk!" He pleaded desperately once more and then saw the flames dying down.

_Gotta tread carefully around this guy. _Klodoa thought and was scratching his skull with the tip of his staff. "Nirvana is an ancient magic that was created by the Nirvit tribe a long time ago and originally for peace, but once they saw the destructive potential sealed it away. Cait Shelter are made up of many of the descendants of the same tribe." Klodoa explained before trying to look intimidating and the Lacrima that was wedged inside his mouth began glowing green. "Now that Nirvana is active-" he stopped as Rex had grabbed him again and he calmed down "-Brain will use it to wipe out Cait Shelter to stop them from sealing it away again!" Klodoa finished hastily.

Letting go of him, Rex nodded. What the staff said all added up, which meant that Nirvana had to be destroyed before it got to Cait Shelter and the problem was how. "The King's Summit is out of commission. So how do we destroy Nirvana now?" He proposed the question to the rest of the group.

* * *

**City of Nirvana**

Erza then summoned two swords and charged at Midnight. "Leave him alone!" She yelled at him.

Turning to face her, Midnight looked mildly surprised. "Oh, so you want a turn? I can't keep Titania waiting now can I?" He smirked and watched as she closed in on him. "You might be an interesting main dish."

Erza swung at him, only to have the sword in her left hand change trajectory and slide downwards. She swung several more times and each time the sword in her hand was reflected. It then began to glow in her hand and she opted to try with a bigger sword hidden in her arsenal.

"Don't attack him!" Jellal pleaded.

Like the last sword she had tried, it deflected away from Midnight and the force of it cut through the building to his right. Erza jumped backwards to put a bit of distance but watched in her surprise as her Heart Kreuz Armour began twisting around her arms and eventually her whole body. As it squeezed she let out a cry of pain, and it then broke afterwards, leaving only her white blouse and dress. _My Armour broke? _She thought in surprise.

"**Requip!**" Erza cried out and then donned her Heaven's Wheel Armour and summoned a number of swords above her in the air. "So you use Reflector Magic. That allows you to bend the air around you, right?" She asked and then began firing a number of Swords that were all deflected away from Midnight, and she kept going on.

Midnight perked up slightly at this. " Magic cannot touch me, I can even bend light itself." He replied with a smirk and nodded, sending all of them back at Erza. He looked on as she deflected them all with a sword in each hand, appearing to not be all that exhausted from the effort and moved his hand in an arc.

Erza gasped in surprise as she had felt her armour twisting itself around her again, except that this time it wasn't breaking just yet. "I want to see more agony on your face!" She heard Midnight cry out and used her Telekinesis to throw one of her swords at him and watched carefully as he moved his head, it narrowly missed him.

"You are an impressive person. **Spiral Pain!**" Midnight cast and swiped his arm in an arc, with the index finger outstretched. A vortex of distorted air attack Erza with brutal force and he heard her crying out in pain. When it had cleared, he along with Jellal both saw that her Heaven's Wheel Armour had shattered completely and fell to the floor.

"Please don't die yet, I want you to entertain me, Titania Erza." Midnight taunted her.

"Then why are you targeting Cait Shelter?" Jellal demanded, looking at him.

Midnight turned to face him with a hand stroking the back of his head. "Cait Shelter is home to the descendants of the Nirvit tribe, the creators of Nirvana. They are the only ones capable of sealing it away." He explained before appearing to actually get excited and he spread out his arms. "The Oración Seis will use this to create a war between light and darkness! Guild against Guild, friend against friend!" Midnight cried ecstatically. "And it will be glorious!"

Jellal looked at him with genuine disgust. "That is despicable." He scowled at him.

Midnight looked at him with a smirk on his face. "Why are you saying that Jellal, especially after what you have done. My heart is a saint compared to yours, you have so much blood on your foul and depraved hands." Midnight pointed out.

That seemed to hurt Jellal. "That… is not true!" He argued.

Midnight let out a chuckle of amusement and offered a hand to Jellal. "On the contrary Jellal I can assure you that it is all true. You have hurt so many people, attempted to kill Erza, and let's not forget all the emotional pain you inflicted upon Rex Vermend not too long ago!" Midnight reeled off. Jellal gasped as he saw a red background with a shadowed Midnight staring down at him with red eyes. "Why don't you join me Jellal, we could make a greater Oración Seis!"

They both looked on as Erza muttered something incomprehensible and then slowly got up and shouted, "**Requip!**" and then began glowing gold to take on a new outfit.

It consists of a short sleeveless and revealing tunic decorated with many flower motifs, and the openings are held closed by a large, dark obi, which has a thin red rope tied around it, sporting a wide closing ribbon on the back. What also closes the openings of this armor is a lighter and smaller white belt, which is wrapped around a pink, flower-patterned cloth circling Erza's waist on the back and the sides. There is a light cloth hanging down from both the front and back that reaches down to her knees, possessing a jagged edge. Another cloth is also hanging down from the sides, held closed by the ribbon on her back. This cloth has a yellow border and is folded to the outside and split into multiple edges at the middle of the cloth, pointing away from Erza's body. Erza's legs are covered by light stockings reaching up to her thighs, and her feet have simple sandals.

"You're wrong about that. Like this Robe of Yūen there is a light that dwells within Jellal!" She declared and pointed the Bisentō that came along with it. The blade has a cove at the start of the blunt side of the blade, a small hole above the cove, and an even smaller hole above the small hole. Jellal smiled as he remembered what Erza had stated to him earlier on.

Midnight got backup to face her. "So the rumors about you are impressive." He noted before his eye shrunk out of satisfaction. "Destroying you will make this all the more satisfying for me."

"I will put an end to your plans." Erza replied and then dashed forwards, attacking Midnight with the weapon but it phased through him and did nothing.

"Speed doesn't mean anything Titania if your Magic cannot hit me." Midnight reminded her, though he had spoken far too soon as Erza had dealt a physical blow to his chest and he was sent flying into one of the buildings. Looking up at her, Midnight took a note of the look on her face.

Erza held out two fingers in the air. "Two, that's how many weaknesses your Magic has. The first is that you cannot distort my body, which is why you targeted my armour instead. Since it was made of metal you twisted it instead of going for my body." She began to explain.

Midnight looked at her and was almost angry. "So what if I have to twist the Armour instead, I can still use it to strangle you!" He declared adamantly and then waved his hands in front of him. The ribbons that were dangling at the side of the Robe of Yūen began to wrap themselves around Erza's bod and then squeeze her, but boht of them nodded.

"Your second weakness. You can only twist one area around you. Either the air around your target or the air around yourself. This is why when you were twisting my Heaven's Wheel Armour you dodged my sword." Erza stated and then she summoned multiple swords in the air above Midnight and once he looked up they rained down upon him, sending him sprawling across the floor.

Breaking free of the hold that Midnight had her in she pointed her Bishentō at him. "The Robe of Yūen is made up of elastic material that renders your type of Magic useless against me. So I guess that you could consider this a third weakness." She smirked.

Jellal stared at her. _Incredible, she was able to tell all of this just by watching him. _He thought.

Midnight got up and appeared to be angry. "No, no!" He growled in anger and hit the floor with his fist.

Erza looked at him in a sympathetic way. "Yes, it is hard admitted that you're going to be defeated isn't it?" She asked him.

The look in Midnight's face was the opposite of what she had expected and Jellal didn't like it either. "Heh heh heh hahaha… you foolish girl. You should have just submitted quickly and spared yourself the agony of what was about to come." He disagreed and then a bell rang out around them, and as soon as it stopped another bell rang out. Then a third bell… and a fourth. They kept on ringing until twelve could be counted.

"What's going on?" Erza demanded.

Slowly getting up there was a look of glee on his face. "When the bell signals midnight… my reflective powers reach their peak!" Midnight explained and then began shaking and jerking violently, and Erza took several steps backwards once his eyes began glowing a dangerous red. His body began to bulge and grow dramatically, with his mouth changing. Both of them watched as Midnight mutated in a giant monster with glowing red eyes and a white band around his arm. The mouth had more canine like teeth and the area they were in became a red colour too.

"What happens next is on your head!" Midnight roared and then fired an orb of Darkness Magic that blasted Erza away a great deal and she fell onto one knee. Then tentacles sprung forth from Midnight's body and then pierced through both Jellal's and Erza's body, and both of them were screaming in agony. "Don't die on me yet, the fun is just getting started!"

Turning to face Jellal, who was coughing up blood Midnight addressed. "You… after the slaves revolted I was unable to sleep safely in fear of the guards. All I wanted was to have one night's sleep where I wouldn't cry!" Midnight roared in anger at him, remembering his time as a child and having to cover up his ears.

Listening in on him made Erza gasped in realisation. "You too? You were at the Tower of Heaven as well?" She asked, having never seen him.

Midnight rounded on her. "You're just as guilty Erza Scarlet. For years you have forgotten the suffering of those at the Tower, just ask them." Two clay creatures appeared and formed themselves into Grandpa Rob and Simon.

"Don't do this!" Erza shouted at Midnight, disturbed, and then lashed out with her spear only to find out that she was a child and using a smaller version of her weapon. What was even more distressing was that somehow she had managed to slash Rob and Simon instead.

"Aww, now look, you've killed your friends again Erza!" Midnight scowled at her from behind.

Shaken from this, Erza tried to attack again like before but this time the figure was none other than Jellal and there was a white mark where the Bishentō had slashed across his chest. "And now this time you've killed Jellal! Can you not save anyone Erza?" Midnight growled at her and she tried to get up but found herself unable to as Midnight prepared for another attack.

A swinging sound could be heard over it and then the sound of something breaking. Then the environment around them shattered completely and revealed that Erza had closed her left eye before dealing the finishing blow to Midnight.

Looking around to find that he was unexpectedly alive and well, Jellal looked down at his body and then up again in confusion. "W-what happened?" He asked, still shaken slightly.

Erza stood up and walked over to him. "It was all an illusion created by him. But he didn't count on my right eye being immune to any visual forms of Magic."

Looking back at her with a look of anger on his face Midnight didn't believe what was happening. "That is impossible. I am the strongest of the Oraciόn Seis, the untouchable one." He stated.

"If you take pleasure in the form of watching others suffer than one can never achieve victory." Erza replied, not looking back at him.

"My prayer… is that one day… I can have a night's rest… in peace…" Midnight stated before he fell unconscious as well.

* * *

**King's Summit**

Klodoa had been slowly trying to escape from them when he was grabbed by Natsu who began hitting him on the floor. "And just what do you think you're trying to pull?" He shouted loudly, though this time the staff had managed to free himself from his grip. "Get back here!" Natsu cried out and then charged forwards with his flaming fists.

"Insolent, violent brat! Don't take me lightly just because I am a stick." Klodoa retorted and then avoided the attack before smacking him from behind suing the end of the stick, watching as Natsu stumbled.

"Don't worry, I got it!" Gray replied and then began to prepare one of his Ice Make Spells, only to get hit in the gut by Klodoa who had used the skull head to do so. As Klodoa reared back for another attack Gray saw that Natsu had grabbed him again. "Now hurry and beat the crap out of him!"

"Oh? Is that what will happen?" An amused Klodoa stated before he began to alternate hitting Natsu and Gray comically over the head, showing off his agility despite not having much of a body. "You fools cannot beat me, what hope do you have of beating Nirvana?" He asked smugly.

Sighing, Rex stepped and then launched a Flamethrower at Natsu. Both Klodoa and Gray jumped back to avoid being hit, and Natsu didn't need to do anything. "Damn, you move pretty quickly. One of you two just stop him so I can get a clear hit on him please." He said this to both of the way.

Natsu and Gray both decided to tackle it at the same time and ran into each when Klodoa levitated higher into the air. "What the hell was that for snowcone/flame brain?" Both of them shouted at the same time and faster then anyone else could insult both of them they got themselves wound up into a petty fight again.

Klodoa was only making things worse by tapping them both with an angry look on his face now that he was being ignored by the two of them and then suddenly shocked Natsu and Gray using the Lacrima. "If this is what the youths of today have then this'll be a walk in the path! All your bluster is just your way of showing!"

Natsu and Gray were both getting really ticked off by this. "Okay I've had enough of the old taking twig!" Natsu shouted out loud and Klodoa then attacked him. Gray tried to attack with some ice, but Klodoa spied that and then lifted himself further into the air resulting in Natsu getting hit instead.

The staff was about to use the Lacrima to shock them both with Lightning before stopping and taking note of what was going on around. "Wait… Midnight has fallen." There was a pause before a look of complete and utter panic took over. "That means all of the Oración Seis has fallen!"

"You got that right!" Natsu grinned at Klodoa.

"I'm not sure but that look cannot mean anything good you guys." Rex interrupted the Dragon Slayer's triumph, focusing on the floating staff.

"It means… that _he's_ coming!" Klodoa shrieked suddenly and dropping the Lacrima in his mouth, as the final tattoo on Brain faded. Moments later his eyes shot open to reveal that they were blood red and his skin had paled considerably.

"He? He who?" Happy asked curiously, though Lucy was concerned about their health. "Weren't you supposed to be the final member of the Oración Seis?"

Klodoa gulped and looked at them hesitantly. "I know I said that but you see… there is a hidden personality hidden by Brain. It is a person who only wishes destruction upon every living thing in the world and he goes by the name of Zero." He began explaining as the man in question slowly got upwards and had a malicious grin. "This persona became uncontrollable so Brain sealed it away with Organic Link Magic, so that if the Oración Seis fell-"

Rex took in a sharp breath of surprise. "If the Oración Seis fell then this Zero persona would awaken."

A low growling sound could be heard from behind them, which sounded a lot like a chilling. It was there that Zero stood, though was wearing Brain's clothes for the moment. His hair had gotten whiter and wavier, and his glaring red eyes along with the pale skin stared coldly at the scene before it, sending a shiver down Rex's spine.

There was a frightened cry coming out from the staff who came over and then bowed towards. "M-Master Zero!" It practically screamed. "My apologies, but the Oración Seis have fallen! It was of those members of the Alliance and-"

Zero interrupted him this time, and he had a much more guttural voice compared to Brain. "It doesn't matter Klodoa. I have body, a form and a voice and that is all I need." Zero stated before he began radiating an aura that was like his Darkness Magic and the outfit on his body flashed green, before turning something a lot more militaristic. He wore a darkish leaf green jacket with a line of yellow buttons going just up the right side and starting at the stomach were black stripes. Around his waist was a red belt with a light blue clip that bore the Oración Seis Guild Mark.

_That Magical Aura is incredible! This makes even Jellal's look like nothing much in comparison. _Rex thought and there was a nervous but determined look on his face.

Turning to face an unconscious Jura, Zero looked at him with an evil smile on his face. "Get away Klodoa, I'll start by destroying the man who injured Brain's body." He stated and the powerful aura the he was emitting his body was still there.

Standing in front of Jura, Gray asked angrily of Zero, "You'd attack someone if they can't even move?"

Zero replied, "I shall destroy anything that has a form, even if it cannot move!" He roared gleefully and watched as a shield of ice form in front of the raven haired wizard, which then proceeded to break up from the intense magic in the air.

"What the hell?" Gray looked on in surprise and was blasted unconscious by Zero.

An angry Natsu then charged forwards at him and jumped in the air. "**Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!**" He roared and threw it close range at Zero, but it was blocked with a purple Seal. Once the fire had dissipated, Zero had moved first and then simply placed a finger on Natsu's forehead before blasting him up to the ceiling with his Magic.

Taking action, Rex's whole body turned purple before disappearing and then sneaking around from behind he tackled Zero with Phantom Force. There was a short blast of energy before Zero scoffed, opened his glowing eyes in the smoke and then fired a burst of Darkness Magic, sending him flying into the wall.

Looking at Rex's face both Happy and Lucy saw a look of shock that was mixed with fear. They both ended up being paralyzed by fear and were unable to move as a result. Zero then turned to face them and then fired a white burst of Magic that knocked them out in one hit, and took note of how they were all knocked out.

"Amazing, M-master Zero! You defeated them without so much as a sweat!" Klodoa praised, having cautiously returned to floating next to the Oración Seis Guild Master.

Looking down on them, the grin faded from Zero's face. "No, they still have form. But they are not ready to die yet." He assessed before walking calmly up to the King's Summit, which had suffered minor damage after the explosion that Brain had set off.

Looking out over the forest, Klodoa was pointing in the direction of the Cait Shelter Guild as he spoke. "The descendants of the Nirvit tribe are the only ones capable of sealing Nirvana away. Without them nothing can stop us, isn't it brilliant Master Zero?" He asked hastily.

The pale man then took the staff and smashed it on the ground with a look of delight on his face and crushed the skull with a foot. "I do not care about that, I live for destruction! Anything that has a form shall be destroyed, including you and Cait Shelter!" He declared, eyes getting wider if that was ever possible with this person then the cannon that came with Nirvana began gathering Magic that could be seen.

After looking over at the Guild for a moment Zero asked, "Are you going to come out or will I destroy the area around you?" He asked with a sly grin.

Kelsier then moved out from the shadows, acting cautiously just like Klodoa. However the caution was for a different reason and was one that concerned him, though right now that wasn't too much of a problem. "You wanna know something? I made a deal with Brain and…"

There was a chuckle from Zero. "That deal is no longer in effect because Brain isn't here anymore." Came the declaration.

Muttering under his breath and dispersing the Archive Magic underneath his mask, Kelsier physically clenched his fists at this development. Not a good sign, he turned the VM Lacrima off and then removed his hood and mask from his face to glare with his eyes at Zero. "That is all I wanted to know." He replied before walking off, practically furious.

Putting his hood and mask back on he went to a different area far away from Zero and the Alliance and then heard a telepathic voice come into his head. "_Kelsier, I can sense your anger and frustration. What seems to be the trouble?_" Came the voice of his Guild Master.

After taking a few calming breaths, Kelsier began to say out loud. "Tell Reeze, that son of a bitch, I never got word of Brain's crazy alternate personality! This throws everything up into the air!" He nearly shouted, knowing that someone would hear if he raised it any louder. It didn't stop him from getting really angry though.

There was a pause for a minute or two and then there was a reply, someone different this time. A higher pitch and one that sounded just as annoyed as he was. "_Calm down Kelsier, my records never stated anything about Brain having an alternate personality when the Master. For once you can't pin the blame on me._" The voice of Reeze replied.

Their Guild Master took over. "_So what are you going to do?_" He asked calmly.

Kelsier didn't even need to think about this. "I'll have to deal with this personally now. If I can get things just right, I'll be able to manipulate Jellal into meeting Rex. With any luck and if your information is correct Master then the first step of the plan is complete." He replied and brought out a clear, kite shaped crystal that he was carrying around his neck.

* * *

**City of Nirvana, with Erza**

As they ran through the City of Nirvana, Wendy was initially being carried by Carla but when she ran out of Magic Energy to carry Wendy they both carried on foot as fast as possible. Eventually they found both Jellal and Erza, standing not too far away from Midnight. "Jellal! It's me!" Wendy cried out in joy, not concerned about the fallen Midnight.

Looking at her, Jellal frowned as he tried to remember who she might be. Nothing came to him and his head tilted to one side slightly. "Who are you?"

This saddened Wendy. "But how can you not know who I am?" She replied and sniffed.

"It's alright. Jellal here has lost his memories from the Ethernano." Erza explained in a comforting way.

Looking back at him and with restored hope, Wendy asked him a more pressing question. "How can we stop Nirvana now?"

Jellal frowned and thought for a moment before giving a reply. "The Self-Destruction is useless now, I can't cast another one. I'm sorry but that was the only way I knew of to stop it." He admitted.

All of them had noticed that the motion had stopped suddenly which only meant that one thing was possible. Nirvana had arrived at the Cait Shelter Guild, and what made things even worse was that the cannon had just charged up and Zero was looking down on it with glee as the inevitable was going to happen (or so he thought). "Now fire, Nirvana!" Zero shouted with glee and began laughing at it launched an initial blast similar to that of Jupiter except much stronger.

Then several blasts of white Magic rained down as it started to fire, knocking it slightly off balance and causing it to miss. There was some confusion until Wendy spotted something in the air. "Up there!" She cried out.

The rest of them turned to see that it was none other than the damaged Christina. Several holes had been ripped out of it and both of the wings had been destroyed, or almost destroyed. The other members of Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus (Ichiya was somewhere in the city) were there on top of it and supporting the Christina with their Magic. Lyon, Sherry and Ren were outside and holding up their hands to keep it in the air, and Hibiki and Eve were in the control room operating from there.

"_Can you hear me, Erza, Wendy?_" Hibiki stated using his Telepathy Spell. He was moving his fingers quickly across the yellow keyboard.

"_I can hear you too Hibiki, I've found Ichiya and have also met up with Garchomp._" A new male voice sounded over the Telepathy. It didn't take them long enough to identify him as Locke who had been also connected.

"_I'm glad that I got through to you, it's been hard enough for us to support the Christina thanks to the combined effort all of us allowed it to fly in the air, but we haven't got much left._" Hibiki began explaining. "_Lyon created two wings out of Ice, Sherry and Ren are supporting it with their Magic, and Eve is using his Snow Magic to bomb Nirvana._"

From above, Eve launched another round of Snow Bombs and it exploded over the cannon area to the amusement of the Zero, and Hibiki paused to bring up some information and he began to transmit it to Erza, but the effort was spreading his resources really thin. "_I've found some additional information on Nirvana. There are six Lacrima, one in each of the legs. Destroying the Lacrima is the easy part, but the issue is that they need to be destroyed at the same time. Given the circumstances, you'll likely only have one shot at this. Nirvana is going to fire again in 20 minutes so don't waste any time._"

There was a guttural voice that hijacked the Telepathy. "_Is that so?_" Zero asked, holding two fingers to his head there was a golden orb. Everyone else recoiled slightly from the sudden interruption.

"_How did you do that?_" Hibiki replied, the surprise heard in his voice.

The hidden member of the Oración Seis didn't bother answering that. "_Do you really think it'll be that easy to stop Nirvana? I am currently standing in front of one of those Lacrimas and I have yet to find a member of the Light that I'll take pleasure in destroying._" He announced. Zero was standing in front of a huge grey Lacrima in a large spherical room with two entrances and six red drapes hanging. across the stones were various runes, many of which looked like eyes.

"_What do you mean by that?_" Hibiki asked, cautiously and he didn't like where this could end up going.

There was a manic laugh from the other end. "_I have already dealt with five such members of the Light. A Celestial Wizard, an Ice Make Mage, a talking cat, a Dragon Slayer and a white haired Mage." _Reeling off the list of people made everyone realise who fitted the description and Erza clenched her fists.

"_Don't tell me you…_" She began to say angrily, dreading the worst possible scenario.

Zero grinned and let out a low chuckle. "_They are merely out of commission for the moment, but might not be soon." _He responded to Erza, lowering his tone at the end of the sentence before taking a moment laugh as a growl of anger was heard. Zero then cut off the communication and waited for someone he could destroy.

Eve began to let out a groan of pain and then faltered before falling down in the console room. "Stay with me Eve, we have to keep this up." Came the encouragement and Eve could only smile weakly as he failed to conjure up any more Magical Power and began panting heavily from the effort.

Likewise the members outside were beginning to falter too, with Sherry being the first, and then the Christina began to fall down from the sky. "Come on Sherry… nngh. Don't give in!" Lyon encouraged her and then felt a pain through his body as he began to lose what little Magic he had left and then fell back onto the Christina. "Damn, guess I'm out. Heh." Lyon smirked.

"We have to keep going... long enough… Sherry…" Ren replied calmly as he saw Sherry falling down onto the Christina. Moments later, he was going too.

This signalled the slow but steady descent of the Christina, with everyone who was outside watching it. Most of the reactions were that of surprise, especially from Hibiki who was doing his best to keep it going, but this and his Telepathy Spell was too much for him and it began to falter. "_I can't keep flying it, so I'm using all of my remaining Magic on this Telepathy Spell. Whatever you plan on saying do so now._" Hibiki advised.

"_Get up!_" Wendy began pleading, much to the surprise of everyone else. "_Please you all have to get up and stop Nirvana! Natsu!_"

Erza then began encouraging them, specifically Rex. "_Please Rex, Natsu. If either one of you can get up and move then do so! We have to stop Zero from attacking Cait Shelter again!_" She stated over the Telepathy too.

Up at the King's Summit, Rex fell forwards from his position in the wall and onto his knees. Breathing heavily, he slowly made his way up onto one knee. "I can hear the two of you. Don't worry, I'm not as badly hurt as Zero believes. I heard what Hibiki said as well, the first Lacrima is mine!" Rex declared.

"_Gray, if you can hear me then stand up! Don't ever forget what Ur taught us!_" Lyon spoke up next.

The raven haired Mage tilted his head forwards and began to take in steady breaths, moving his outspread arms. "I can hear you Lyon, I'll take the second Lacrima." He declared calmly, to which Lyon smiled.

"_Lucy, if you can hear this then please get up and show them the power of our love._" Sherry pleaded, her vision swimming from exhaustion.

Lucy stirred and then supported herself with the rock lying next her. "Of course Sherry… I'll go down the third Lacrima. I just hope Zero isn't there." She added with a weak chuckle, and likewise Sherry found that amusing.

"_Men, the three of us will be attempt to destroy Lacrima number 4. I can tell which one it is by the scent of it's parfum._" Ichiya spoke up next, striking a pose in front of Garchomp and Locke.

Erza let out a sigh. "_He means it's the closest one to him._" She translated, embarrassing him greatly as she heard a deep gasp of surprise.

There was a heavy panting at the King's Summit with Natsu punching a fisty to the ground and glaring ahead of him as he got up. "I'm going down Lacrima number one as well!" He declared and Happy got up, spreading his legs out. There was a reason for this, and Rex was not one to argue in this circumstance.

Glad to see that Natsu was back up on his feet, Erza spoke up again. "_In that I am taking the fifth Lacrima._" She told them.

To the group at the area below the King's Summit and the members of the Alliance aboard Christina an unknown male voice was heard over the Telepathy. "_I'll take the sixth Lacrima and-_" Jellal began but Erza put a hand over his mouth.

"Keep your voice down. Natsu and Rex are both unaware of the circumstances of what happened to you." Erza advised him and once he nodded in agreement she let go of him.

"_...Right, well I'm afraid that this is it for us… s… y… he…_" Hibiki tried contacting them but ended up falling against the back of the control room in Christina as it fell further and further until a loud crashing noise could be heard from nearby Nirvana.

"We should make haste as well men, we have to destroy the Lacrima before it reaches Nirvana." Ichiya stated to the group, ignoring the fact that Garchomp was female and they all set off, with the blue dragon following behind in last place. Ichiya was aware that Garchomp was a companion of the Guardian Fairy and guessed that she was worried for him.

There was an unexpected pause as the group standing below the King's Summit tried to figure out who the voice was, Rex in particular felt annoyed that he couldn't remember the voice. "Finding out whoever that was can wait later, right now we have to get to the Lacrima." He stated to the others.

Below in the City of Nirvana, Erza and the others were about to get ready to leave. "I'm guessing that Zero is most likely at the number one Lacrima. Natsu has an excellent sense of smell, and Rex probably used one of his own methods to find him as well." She stated with confidence.

"Shouldn't we help them?" Wendy asked.

Erza considered it for several moments, remembering what had happened during the fight against Laxus. "We don't need to worry about them, they can handle almost anything that Zero will throw at them." She assured Wendy.

Jellal's frown increased upon hearing the second name. He had vaguely remembered something about the first name, and now hearing the second name made him remember a few vague memories. Jellal remembered a red and a blue crystal structure with a silver haired man staring at him in anger, and there were recollections of that same person but with white hair and then black. He had teamed up with a salmon haired Mage who used a form of Fire Magic and dealt a lot of damage.

Noticing the pause in him before they set off, Erza came over to him. "Is something the matter?" she asked.

Turning to face her suddenly, Jellal hesitated to give an answer. "Um, no. I just think that it'd be better if you went to Lacrima six, Wendy. I have very little Magic Power left, so I can't do a thing." He replied, having clearly picked up the name from Erza.

"Me?" Wendy asked in surprise.

She wasn't the only one to not like the suggestion. "Are you sure that is such a good idea, Jellal? Wendy doesn't have much Magic power left." Carla voiced with a slight edge in her tone.

"No, you don't have to worry about me Carla, if that is what Jellal wants then I'll gladly help to save my Guild." Wendy declared, and Carla dropped any further arguments.

Seeing that everything was still going on course, Erza nodded in understanding. "Okay then, lay low and wait until it's over. Avoid meeting Natsu in the meantime." She instructed him and they both headed in the direction of their chosen Lacrima.

Nodding, Jellal put a hand to his face as he thought about the names once more and then found his memories were becoming clearer by the second of both of them, but in particular of Rex Vermend and what had happened at the Tower of Heaven. "Rex… Vermend…" He muttered.

* * *

_**Tower of Heaven**_ _(Flashback)_

"_True freedom Jellal? BY TAKING AWAY OTHERS LIVES?" Rex (in his Yveltal Forme) shouted as he spread out his arms and formed a Y by moving his legs together. The red parts at the end of the tail and hands began to glow and it spread along slowly until it reached the center. "True freedom is letting people do what they want and not enslaving them!" Rex responded and he jumped into the air and flew until he was 10 feet away from Jellal._

"_What are you doing?!" Erza demanded fearfully, as her main worry was Rex doing something reckless._

_Jellal grinned as he thought he had won but then he felt the aftermath of one of Erza's attacks and the pain suddenly flashed through him. No, not now! I'M TOO CLOSE! He thought desperately._

"_Yveltal is the Pokemon of death, destruction, whichever one you prefer. So I'll show you a reason to fear it." With this statement a crimson red orb with a small white center appeared in his outstretched hand. "__**Legendary Signature Arts - Oblivion Wing!**_" _He screeched and fired a large beam of crimson red and white energy that engulfed Jellal._

"_AAAAAAHHHH!" Jellal cried out and recoiled from the attack as it drained away at his remaining stamina. Firing the Oblivion Wing also made the red colour of the Tower of Heaven disappear and return to its normal shining blue self Jellal was sent crashing through several layers and the combination of that and Oblivion Wing knocked him clean unconscious and fell down on the Lacrima._

* * *

"Natsu Dragneel, Rex Vermend… Natsu! Rex!" Jellal growled, opening his eyes suddenly and remembering everything that had happened to him at the Tower of Heaven. With a new resolute look of anger in his eyes he set off in the direction of a Lacrima.

**Lacrima One - Rex and Natsu**

The walls that were leading towards the Lacrima were somewhat enclosed and the pair of them were running through it as fast as possible until they got into a wide open area and they looked down as they faced Zero, who had clearly been waiting for them. The floor ran for several feet until it caved in towards the center which was where the Lacrima stood.

"So, it seems I have the so called Dragon Slayer and the Guardian Fairy. I did make a promise to destroy the both of you, and I have every intention of doing just that." Zero greeted them, and watched with fascination as Rex switched into the Fist Plate.

* * *

**This chapter is unfortunately slightly shorter than some of my previous chapters have been, but the next chapter I assure you will be much longer, and it allows me to enact the twist I have planned!**

**Next Time on Guardian Fairy - Broken Light**

**The fight between Natsu and Rex against Zero starts but with both Jellal on the move and Kelsier putting his own plans in motion, there is a change coming on the horizon and not for the better.**


	32. Broken Light

**Announcement: Okay so this is going to be a thing for two reasons. This may be the last chapter for quite some time as I have to do a bit of planning about the next arc, and I am having a bit of an existential crisis due to other things that are not related to this story. Without further ado, the final chapter of the Oración Seis arc.**

**Previously on Guardian Fairy -**

**Rex: **Brain intervened and shot down Cobra for losing to Natsu, that bastard! The fact that he was manipulating them all along makes it even worse. Jura then stepped up and fought Brain, beating him silly might I add. Whilst we were searching for a way to stop Nirvana Richard contacted us, but it was a trap! Erza then ran into Midnight who revealed that he was a slave at the Tower of Heaven as well, though was eventually defeated. This created a _bigger _problem though as Brain's other persona Zero appeared. Hibiki contacted us with a way to stop Nirvana and Natsu and I now have to defeat Zero and stop Nirvana!

* * *

**Chapter 32 - Broken Light**

**Lacrima One - Rex and Natsu**

The walls that were leading towards the Lacrima were somewhat enclosed and the pair of them were running through it as fast as possible until they got into a wide open area and they looked down as they faced Zero, who had clearly been waiting for them. The floor ran for several feet until it caved in towards the center which was where the Lacrima stood.

"So, it seems I have the so called Dragon Slayer and the Guardian Fairy. I did make a promise to destroy the both of you, and I have every intention of doing just that." Zero greeted them, and watched with fascination as Rex switched into the Fist Plate.

Kelsier was also present and had decided to take off his mask and cloak to reveal that he was a slim person with what looked like two layers of hair and green eyes. The bottom layer was a silver colour, short and it came up in two angled spikes at the side and the top layer was a darker shade, spiking downwards at the back. He was wearing a short sleeved zipless white jacket with a strange symbol on the left side in purple, and a black outline around the edge. This was worn over a gray shirt that hid the crystal hanging on his neck. On his hands were a pair of black gloves. Kelsier also wore a pair of white trousers with black horizontal stripes that got thicker until it looked like the inverse of the top. This was completed by a pair of gray boots.

"Are you here as well to stop us?" Rex asked with a glare upon him.

Kelsier looked at him in a calm, almost nonchalant look on his face. "No, I'm curious to see what is going to happen. You can beat the stuffing out of Zero all you want, the deal I made with the Oración Seis is null. Void." He replied and spread out his hands in the air.

Cracking his knuckles, Rex turned back to face Zero and looked all the more satisfied. _I'm going to go after him next. _He noted before running towards Zero at a fast pace with Natsu alongside him, and his fists were glowing white. "**Mach Punch!**" Rex shouted.

Zero parried the incoming blows with his elbows, though was nearly surprised by the speed at which they lunged and then watched as the Dragon Slayer attacked him next by throwing a flaming fist at him and then blocked that one as well, exerting his Magical aura.

This forced them to move back a bit. "That is sickening." Rex stated out loud and then dashed forwards again with Mach Punch and then began to trade blows with Zero. Despite the fact that few of them were actually hitting the Guild Master of the Oración Seis Rex persisted and then faked a left, lashing out with his right fist and finally managing to land a hit on him.

"**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!**" Natsu roared as he followed it up with a blazing fist of his own.

This pushed Zero further back, but he faced them with a look that told the other two that it didn't do much and he didn't even fall to the ground once. "Is this what the Light is capable of? A few playground punches?" He asked them both with a hint of amusement in his tone.

"You better be careful what you wish for Zero!" Rex shouted in retaliation and then attacked him from behind with Force Palm. Zero was lost in a burst of energy and then used Sky Uppercut in an attempt to deal another hard blow.

This one missed and Zero dealt a swift blow to Natsu as he saw him coming with his hand cloaked in flames once more. "I am on a completely different level to Brain, so watch as I show you my destructive power! **Dark Capriccio!**" Zero chanted and casted the spell, firing at the two of them.

"Heads up!" Rex shouted and pushed Natsu away as the Spell buried itself in the ground. Looking back at Zero unimpressed, he could feel the ground beneath him trembling slightly thanks to the Earth Plate and jumped backwards in time, with Zero moving his arm towards Rex. The Dark Capriccio followed him, forcing him to go on the defensive.

"**Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!**" Natsu shouted and fired a large fireball that exploded on Zero directly and he was surrounded in flames. He watched as they were nullified by the tall man and he was looking at him. Natsu then cried out as he was hit by Dark Capriccio and sent straight towards Zero.

Running towards him and picking up more speed, Rex attacked with a Mega Kick directly into the face and Zero was caught off guard and needed a moment to regain his balance. A small trickle of blood could be seen coming from Zero's mouth which he then wiped with his hand and stared at it before facing Rex.

"No one has ever done this to me before, you should be grateful that this'll be the only time you get to hit me like that. But I want to see more of that power!" Zero declared with his eyes widening.

There was a snort from Rex. "Oh you will see it, but when I'm through with you you'll wish you hadn't!" He declared and then switched into the Zap Plate and was radiating electricity. A yellow orb formed within Rex's outstretched hands and an Electro Ball was sent directly at Zero.

A purple Seal appeared from Zero's palm that blocked the Electro Ball and it held there as it was being repelled by his Darkness Magic, sending yellow and green sparks all over the place, and the other person present took note of the colourful display.

"**Thunderbolt!**" Rex shouted as he jumped into the air and fired as blast of electricity at Zero and he was literally zapped by it and Rex continued to output the Thunderbolt.

Although Zero looked like he was initially unable to move, he shrugged it off like it was nothing. "For a moment there I thought I felt a slight tingle. Where is this power you said you were going to destroy me with?!" Zero demanded and fired a Dark Rondo in the form of a group of multiple tentacles at the pair of them and watched as they tried to dodge all of them.

Natsu was hit by one of them, though he quickly got up again and then cloaked himself in flames and charged at Zero with his Fire Dragon's Sword Horn. The look of fierce determination in his eyes made Zero even more eager to crush all of them and Natsu missed as Zero stepped to one side.

Rex meanwhile had stood his ground and surrounded himself in a sphere of electricity that sent out multiple concentrated sparks of electricity on the four green tentacles that were closing in on him. All of them were hit to slightly varying degrees of effectiveness though the Dark Rondo was unable to break through it. The two attacks cancelled each other out and half the damage dealt to the Spell was absorbed as health.

Watching the Dragon Slayer turn around to come back and attack him again, Zero let out a grin and then fired a Dark Capriccio at Natsu and the two attacks collided each other head on. Making sure that the other fighter wasn't getting any ideas a second Dark Capriccio was sent at Rex who rolled to the side and then began to run again, knowing that it was going to follow him.

Sensing the Dark Capriccio closing in on him Rex jumped and did a flip as it passed in between his arms and then waited for it to come close to him before he readied a Force Palm and smacked it back at Zero who grinned as he moved it through the ground to hit Natsu from below and the flames stopped suddenly. "**Dark Rondo!**" Zero shouted and fired a number of tentacles that all hit Natsu.

"Keep away from him!" Rex shouted and then charged forwards with Volt Tackle, lighting up the area and then crashing into Zero, sending electricity all over the place. The resulting explosion could be heard all over Nirvana.

In the corridor to Lacrima Four the group of all of them stopped as they heard it and turned around back from the way they came. "That sound has be Salamander or the Guardian Fairy, men. Their perfume to protect others is stronger than we may ever comprehend." Ichiya stated and struck a pose, leaving the other two slightly dumbfounded at his choice to substitute desire with perfume.

Still rolling with the Volt Tackle, Rex hit Zero twice more and then stopped to let the recoil damage sink in and felt the red sparks flashing around his body and he sunk to the feet a bit. "It doesn't matter how much you can take, I won't stop until I destroy you and Nirvana!" Rex shouted angrily and got up to face Zero.

"So you claim that you will destroy me?" Zero replied in an amused tone and then began to laugh out loud at this thought. "I think that it'll happen the other way around, Guardian Fairy. You're power is certainly a sight to see, but against my absolute destruction it is meaningless!"

Getting ready to attack again, this time with Mach Punch, Rex looked at Zero. "I'd like to see you try!" He shouted and began to run at Zero…

...until a small burst of fire coming from an angle above him hit Rex and sent him sprawling backwards onto the floor. Rolling over once he dug his elbows to the ground and stopped himself, then looked up and froze in shock. Natsu was also looking up at the other person who had come in with similar disbelief.

There standing at the entrance of Lacrima One instead of Six stood Jellal with an outstretched hand that had a fading flame, and a malicious smile was all over his face. Rex recognised the clothes as the ones that were worn by Erigor though right now that wasn't a problem.

"So you've finally come back Jellal. Have your memories returned?" Zero asked, amused by the sudden appearance of the man.

Jellal turned to face Zero. "Yes, they have." He replied

_Yes! Things are going to go the way that this Guild wants it to! There will be no stopping us! _Kelsier thought and sucked in his breath with some anticipation in his body language.

"Why are you here?" Natsu shouted and got up quickly then charged at him, with every intention of attacking. But he too was blasted by fire, though unlike the last time it didn't work and he was stopped in his tracks. "Fire doesn't work against me remember?"

"Yes, I do remember that fact." Jellal confirmed, nodding once. "There is also another fact that I remember, Natsu. You are our ray of hope, you and Rex Vermend."

This statement threw everyone off balance including Kelsier, and Rex jolted once in his position. "I remember that you are a Fire Dragon Slayer, and that fire increases your strength." Jellal recalled.

Natsu looked down at himself, wondering if that was the reason that Jellal had fired the attack at him. "But why then attack Rex with the fire as well?" He demanded, knowing the one thing earlier that didn't make any sense.

Zero was also just as confused as the rest of them, not because of the fact that Jellal had attacked Rex as well. "So then you haven't regained your memories?" He inquired, trying to make sense of it all.

"I can only remember what had happened recently with those two." Jellal elaborated, and then looked at Rex who was slowly getting up to his feet. There was a pained expression on Jellal's face as well.

Natsu wasn't understanding this. "What's this all about memories?" He asked, feeling left out of the loop. Rex nodded slowly in silence as well, still too stunned to speak as he got up.

There was a look of sadness that crossed Jellal's face. "When I first gained consciousness, I had no memories of my own. I only got word from others, and they told me that I had done some horrible things, that I was a villain of the worst kind." The pause that followed saw Jellal look at Zero adamantly. "Regardless of what has happened, I want to help save Wendy and her Guild now."

Heavy breathing could be heard from Rex and a golden aura was surrounding him and he looked directly at him, and angry was too soft a word, Rex was absolutely livid at Jellal. "I don't believe you." He whispered. "I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!" He roared suddenly and quicker than the last time delivered a powerful Mach Punch.

The strength of the blow shot Jellal back into the wall and in the next moment he was being pummeled by Rex with multiple. "I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO RIGHT TO BELIEVE YOU! NOT AFTER WHAT YOU HAVE DONE! YOU MADE ERZA CRY!" He began chewing Jellal out verbally and then held him up with both hands, with everyone seeing the expression of pure anger on his face. Rex could still hear the sound of Simon taking Altaris and smiling as his took his last few breaths.

Jellal looked at him in silence, and was looking slightly scared too, mainly because his left eye was swelling up and he now has a bloodied nose from the brutal force of the attacks and was not ready to give up yet. "I guessed that based on the way she reacted to me. I'm not asking you…" He tried to say but was cut off again.

"I COULDN'T GIVE TWO SHITS ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ME FOR! NEVER WILL I EVER LISTEN TO YOU AFTER **WHAT YOU** **DID! GIVE ME ONE REASON NOT TO KILL YOU!**" Rex continued to shout, ignoring the fact that he was interrupting Jellal and grabbed onto the coat he was wearing even tighter to the point where his knuckles were getting whiter. There was something even more disconcerting in the deepening of his voice.

Jellal flinched and then raised a cautious hand and Rex decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, just. "Please just listen to me. I understand what I did was wrong, and I'll never forgive myself for that. But I want to help stop Nirvana. I owe Wendy and Erza that much at least. I also believe in you Rex." He stated with a small smile and got a sharp look of surprise in return.

"W… what?" Rex asked, voice hoarse from all of that shouting.

"I've heard a few of your feats from her, while we were getting on to Nirvana. She told me what you did when the Guild was attacked by Phantom, and then recent events." Jellal admitted and Rex looked on silently, not knowing what to say. "She told me about the time you and her dated, and how you made a grave for Simon."

Kelsier clenched his fists behind his back and kept a sneer from forming on his face. This was not how he was expecting things to go when Jellal turned up, so he had no choice but to pull out the last card in his deck and force it to happen. Behind his back a white orb began to form in his hand.

"I understood your selflessness, how you were willing to do anything to protect her no matter what the risk to your life Rex. Take all of that, and use it to stop Nirvana." Jellal continued his speech with a warm encouraging smile.

This was what disarmed Rex, seeing that same smile he had seen once before from the Tower of Heaven when he had seen and met what could only be the true Jellal, which spoke to him and told him to protect Erza. Visibly shaking, Jellal was dropped to the floor and he hobbled slightly and managed to lean himself against the wall.

"Are you done having your little chat? Then you can perish!" Kelsier sneered and fired his Scatter Blast at Rex suddenly and it split into six separate bombs in mid air and were heading towards Rex.

"Look out!" Jellal shouted and then managed to get in front of them and take them all head on. He held back a grunt of pain as he fell into the ground, smoking and several patches of his outfit had been burnt off.

Looking down at him in horror, Rex was shaking from anger as well and looked straight ahead at Zero, who was chuckling at the sudden drama that was unfolding. He was still trying to take in the aspect of Jellal actually taking the bullet for him. _No, no, nonono NONONO! This can't be happening! I can't lose another one! _Rex thought desperately.

"If either one of you… wants to finish me right now then go ahead, but please let me help you stop the others." Jellal requested as he looked up at the Lacrima with a smile.

_I will not allow anyone else to fall like that… anyone who chooses to recklessly endanger others… shall die. __**Yes, yes! They should all just disappear and die! **_Rex thought and then stopped shaking, though his head had lowered and he could feel his own heart beat.

There was a sudden loud roar that came from Rex and he opened his eyes to reveal that they were glowing a bright red and a mass of purple energy erupted from around him in a pillar, and his jacket was flapping out wildly along with his tie. The sudden eruption had created a mini earthquake with the Lacrima One room being the epicentre. Everyone else looked on in mild surprise save for Kelsier who look pleased at this development, and any other sound was drowned out by the roar.

Lucy and Happy were making their own way down the corridor to Lacrima Three when they heard Rex roar and both of them jumped and screamed. "What was that?" Lucy cried out and was holding on to each other for dear life.

"I don't know!" Happy cried out in response and they both began to run down the corridor away from the roar.

"**None of you… deserve to live!**" Rex shouted and they saw that his eyes were glowing red with purple sclera and his hair had become a deep shade of purple. "**Everyone and everything around me shall disappear!**" He roared and then sent out a shockwave of dark energy in the place that made Zero, Jellal and Natsu flinch.

Kelsier continued to smile as he watched Rex lose his control and brought out the clear crystal which began to glow in reaction to the sudden energy. Instead of flinching from the damage that pulse of darkness would have done the crystal absorbed it, though he could tell that it wasn't enough. "You seem to be angrier than usual, Guardian Fairy." Kelsier mocked.

"**SHUT UP!**" Rex roared in response and attacked the whole area around him with crescent waves of darkness, ignoring friend from foe as his rage quite literally cut loose.

Watching as the crescent waves of shadows spread out quickly, Natsu took Jellal and moved him out of the way, jumping to the ground to avoid being hit. Zero blocked with his Darkness Magic, and Kelsier held out his crystal once more and the ones that were coming towards him were directed into it and absorbed just like last time.

Once the attack had subsided, Natsu looked up at him and could tell that something was seriously off with him based on the smell. There was a look of uncertainty as there was a thick purple aura coating him but he had to try anyway. "Hey Rex, calm down! What's gotten into you?" Natsu asked him.

Rex then turned to face him and there was a look that scared Natsu, though not usually the normal comical scared look on his face. "**TRAITOR!**" Came the shout from him and infused a fist with shadow energy and then hit Natsu so hard the floor beneath him cracked greatly.

_This change in him, I can see it. The raw destruction this could do will be unparalleled… but I can not allow him to destroy Nirvana if that is what will happen. _Zero thought and then spoke to Rex directly. "So then, are you finally ready to show me your power?"

"**I am ready to not only show you the true power of the shadows, but kill you with them!**" Rex replied before putting on a sadistic grin on his face and then dashed towards Zero, infusing his fist with shadows again like the last time.

Zero returned the grin. "Your destruction will be worth it!" He shouted in return and fired a Dark Rondo at Rex who threw the fist, sending it like a projectile. When the two attacks clashed a powerful shockwave was generated that forced Natsu and Jellal to duck in fear of getting blown away by the force.

"**Dark Capriccio!**" Zero chanted and fired the piercing beam of Darkness Magic directly at Rex who had disappeared and then reappeared from behind him. It was redirected to the place where he reappeared in a burst of shadows, which couldn't be concealed. He saw as the beam grazed the arm of the Guardian Fairy with delight.

"**Shadow Bolt!**" Rex shouted in anger and then began gathering blast sparks before firing them at Zero. This was much stronger than a normal Thunderbolt though and Zero returned a growl of annoyance. Rex then fired several tentacles made out of shadows as Zero to grab him and then began violently flinging him all over the place, damaging the room in the process.

"I'm helping too!" Natsu shouted and ignited his fists.

Kelsier sprung into action after this declaration and then both of the palms of his gloves began glowing a white colour. "I will not have you interfering Salamander! **Double Force Blast!**" He chanted and hit the ground between him and the two of them, creating a powerful explosion that sent the pair of them into the lower floor and then jumped down to meet them.

Whilst Zero was flying through the air he found the strength to break free and casted another Dark Rondo, this time spreading it out multiple tentacles across the area and began walking towards Rex who was being beaten around by the Spell he had cast. Another purple Seal had appeared in front of him. "**Dark Delete!**" Zero chanted and began firing multiple dark green spheres from his fingers.

Rex began disappearing and reappearing across the battlefield quickly in an attempt to avoid all of them and then reappeared above Zero and fused his entire body with Shadows. "**Shadow End!**" He cried out and he rammed Zero with a shadowy tackle and then went into an uppercut aimed directly at the face. The force of the blow lifted his opponent into the ceiling.

After Zero dropped to the floor it reveal that his nose was bloodied but he didn't seemed deterred, and was marvelling at the power. "This is the kind of power I've been waiting for. Destroying everything about you will be so much better!" Zero declared and then casted Dark Capriccio again, guiding it so that Rex could not escape.

"**Shadow Break!**" Rex growled and all of the shadows in his body were channeled into one of his fists and he punched the Spell, blocking it but was being pushed back due to the nature of the Dark Capriccio, before he eventually managed to nullify it. "**You think that darkness is about destruction Zero? Then you're a fool!**"

Rex ran forwards and infused his fists with shadows again before dealing multiple Shadow Breaks upon Zero who looked on in surprise as they were dealing a lot of damage but then looked ecstatic upon seeing the destruction that the two of them were doing to the surrounding area. "**Shadow Rave!**" Rex shouted and fired a barrage of shadow shaped spikes at Zero who then looked on in surprise as they all attacked him.

The explosion revealed that there were several tears in his jacket and Zero was looking on only mildly surprise. "If only I could harness that destructive power for my own. I haven't felt such a force like this in a long time." Zero mused out loud and then fired another Dark Rondo towards.

"**Thanks, but no deal. Shadow Slash!**" Rex cried out and then both of his arms were coated with shadows to give them more of an armour like appearance and at the end they were curved into talons. Opening both his hands he ran towards Zero.

"**Zero Slash!**" Zero chanted and produced two whip like Dark Capriccios from his hands and began to attack by swinging his arms.

Both attacks clashed, and Rex parried them away, though saw that Zero swinging his arms in a circular like motion was going to be problematic but didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was killing Zero and he began to run forwards recklessly, ignoring the times he got bashed by the Zero Slash. Although Rex was knocked down once he got up again.

"**Don't get cocky you impudent human!**" Rex growled as he carried on forwards and then delivered powerful slash in the form of an X and Zero swung his left arms backwards, hitting Rex and the Spell scraped his arm like arm like sandpaper, stopping him momentarily.

Not missing the opportunity to exploit it, Zero began lashing out and hitting Rex until he caught it with the attack and then saw it cracking up where the dark haired member of the Light had caught it before it shattered completely and sent a shockwave down it. Had Zero not cancelled the Spell then it would've been problematic for him.

"**Hahahahahaha!**" Rex began laughing and exerting a shadowy aura. Zero didn't see what was so funny and looked at him in an almost demanding way. "**Why am I laughing at you Zero? It's because a pathetic human like you thinks that you can match me. Shadow Sky!**" Rex shouted and overhead, dark clouds were beginning to gather, causing it to rain.

Zero felt the strange rain coming down and stinging his body. At first he didn't understand what was so bad about it until he felt a slight numbing pain coming from his shoulders, which was where there were several tears from previous attacks that had damaged him. "What is this doing?" Zero demanded.

"**Infecting you with the true power of the darkness! Soon your power will become mine and only then will I kill you!**" Rex declared with a smirk on his face and then began gathering deep purple and black air towards his hands and it was also creating a strong air current. "**Shadow Blast!**" Rex roared and formed a large blade out of the air and fired it towards Zero.

As it flew closer to Zero it drew the air towards it and was growing stronger. It created a large explosion and a spiral of purple wind in the area that lifted Zero and threw him to one side. The Guild Master of the Oración Seis was beginning to recognise that this was a serious threat and that he had to do something serious or he'd be the one destroyed.

"**Shadow Flare!**" Rex chanted and then fired a blast of purple flames at Zero though it was deflected by him using his hands, though not without burning himself slightly.

"To see an unparalleled level of destruction is admirable, however this is where things are going to end for you as I'll unleash my ultimate Spell." Zero declared and then began gathering darkness Magic in both of his hands and two dark green orbs in his hands and spread them out along with his feet.

"**Ultimate Spell? Hah! Go ahead and cast it!**" Rex dared him, with a notable change this time as two white teardrop shapes appeared around his eye made of energy. Instead of recklessly charging in attacking Zero like at the start and had become a lot calmer and stronger at the same time. There was still a sense of recklessness just toned down a lot.

There was a look of glee that had replaced the previous nervousness that was in his voice and Zero began to spiral them together, forming a spiral of green energy. "**Genesis Zero.**" Once Zero had brought his hand together he then brought them together and then they disappeared in a green flash, creating thousands upon thousands of purple ghosts with blank white eyes and purple bodies and hands.

"Go forth travellers of the void! Consume everything about that man, his memories and his body! Make his existence into nothingness!" Zero declared and then swarmed towards Rex.

"**Travellers of the Void?**" Rex asked in an amused tone though was taking a more pragmatic view to it by attempting to use Shadow Blast again, but the ghosts kept coming through it and towards him. Moments later the ghosts had begun swamping his body and overpowering him. "**Grr… you think that a world of nothingness can stop me?!**" He declared, and began struggling.

Despite this, Zero looked at him in amusement as he eventually disappeared into a deep purple swirl that closed behind him. "Now you too are a part of the Void now." Zero smirked.

Down the other Lacrima paths, the others had all now arrived at their respective Lacrimas and were waiting patiently for what was going to happen next. "Less than five minutes left. Come on Rex, Natsu. I don't know what you're doing but do not let Nirvana destroy Cait Shelter." Gray stated with a shiver. Seconds later he was thrown to the floor by a powerful shockwave.

Erza had arrived at her Lacrima and was waiting just like the others. "Please Rex… defeat Zero." SHe said with tears forming at her eyes, not only was she worried for him but there was also guilt over having kept Jellal being here a secret. Using one hand she stopped herself from falling over.

When Wendy and Carla had arrived at Lacrima Six, the former had to stop and bend over to take a breath. "Don't give up now child, we have only one shot to destroy it and with the others doing there own thing, I can't tell if it's possible." Carla stated.

"Yeah I know Carla." Wendy replied and was looking at the Lacrima, waiting for something. She then tripped over as an explosion rocked the room she was in. "What was that?!"

* * *

**With Natsu**

After Kelsier had attacked to divert them away from Zero and a dark Rex, Natsu and Jellal had fallen two floors down and they were both getting up to try and stand. Looking around they saw that they were in a rectangular room with several vines growing down through the ceilings and walls where it had rotted away for hundreds of years.

"Ugh, what the heck?" Natsu complained and looked around.

Kelsier had jumped down and landed several feet away from them. "I apologise for the interruption Salamander, but I will not let you interfere with Rex Vermend." He repeated his earlier statement and then moved his feet apart slightly and looked ready to attack him again.

"Why did you do that?" Jellal asked with a narrowed look on his face, and he was still feeling the pain from earlier.

"A most excellent question, Jellal. But one I do not intend to answer, all I need to do is stop you and Salamander." Kelsier replied and then dodged an incoming fist from Natsu and then hit him with the palm of his hand, forcing him backwards with an explosion. This forced Natsu backwards, though he didn't lose his balance and he glared at Kelsier.

"Do you like my Bomb Magic, Salamander? **Scatter Bomb!**" Kelsier chanted and then fired a white orb from a corresponding white Seal that split into half a dozen more that spread out in front of Natsu chiefly who looked on in surprise as they exploded around him and watched as the dragon slayer was thrown backwards.

"**Fire Dragon's Roar!**" Natsu shouted and then unleashed a powerful blast of fire at him but it was sucked into a red sphere before it imploded and disappeared. "What?" Natsu gasped in surprise upon seeing the fire simply vanish.

Kelsier didn't say anything but he did give him an amused look and watched as Natsu decided to attack with physical attacks and then intercepted it by holding the fist and then using Force Blast pushed Natsu hard into the wall again and looked on in amusement. _What a glutton for punishment. _Kelsier mused in thought.

"Come on Salamander at least provide me with some sort of challenge. It was much more fun when I was messing around with Locke, even if the fool fell from grace." Kelsier gave a mock sigh and shook his head.

"What do you know about Locke?" Natsu asked with a growl, trying to think of another way of hitting him.

"More than you ever will." Kelsier replied cryptically and then formed a yellow sphere in his hand before throwing it in the direction of both Natsu and Jellal. When it exploded on the ground it released a burst of yellow smoke.

Natsu and Jellal tried to cover up their mouths but they inhaled it anyways and felt a numbing sensation across their bodies, and they were also slowing down. "What is this…?" Natsu growled and then fell to his knees and began coughing, his face turning green from the smell of it.

"My Mustard Bomb. At first it will numb your body and paralyse it, though it would also seem your nose has enhanced the awful smell. If you're left in there for too long there are more permanent side effects." Kelsier stated and then fired another Scatter Bomb at them.

They were sent flying, and the yellow mist was spreading out. This meant that they were out of the effects of it and his senses began restoring to normal. This didn't stop an excited Kelsier from moving over to them and kicking Natsu in the stomach, making him recoil from the pain. "Does it hurt? Good, because I want to see you suffer." Kelsier grinned.

At least until Natsu found the strength to get up and launch him towards the ceiling with a Fire Dragon Iron Fist. Getting up he launched himself into the air towards Kelsier. "**Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!**" Natsu chanted and his whole body was cloaked in fire. The explosion sent them into the next floor up and they were two floor below Lacrima One.

"Even after all of what you've been through you can still stand? Why?" Kelsier demanded, getting slightly annoyed at this turn of events.

Even though getting up was still slightly painful, Natsu wasn't going to give in at this point. "It's because the other members of Fairy Tail and Cait Shelter are counting on me! I can feel their determination and resolve to protect the world, including Rex's! The strength of their feelings is what's flowing through me!" He countered.

Initially there was a look of surprise on Kelsier's face who then began to laugh out of amusement. "Oh really? Then perhaps you can tell me what Rex is doing right now, with his emotions?" He asked rhetorically and Natsu paused, unable to reply. "That's right, getting himself torn apart."

Jellal rolled onto his front as several explosions were heard and he saw that a section of the ceiling had collapsed. Getting up he climbed up the collapsed floor slowly and saw that Kelsier had blasted Natsu back several feet and that he was panting. _At this rate, Natsu is not going to make it. _He thought and then walked over towards him.

"Where is this power of emotion you keep on blabbering about Salamander?" Kelsier taunted as he began to prepare another Spell but put it off when he saw that Jellal was crawling over towards him and opted for a change of plans. "How perfect. Since the two of you together you can both take the blame for the downfall of Cait Shelter."

A white Seal appeared and Kelsier threw a black coloured sphere at them. It exploded in front of them and both Natsu and Jellal looked around as everything further than six inches in front of them faded sharply to darkness. Then Kelsier attacked by spraying them out with groups of smaller white orbs and a ripple of explosions nearly destroyed the area.

"Grrrr…" Natsu growled as he tried to get up and stand but could only manage to stay at one knee. "Don't ever underestimate… a member of Fairy Tail." He tried to say.

Kelsier gave an amused look towards Natsu and raised an eyebrow in response. "You're underestimating _me._" He stated in a dark tone and dropped down, putting his face close up to Natsu so that he could actually see the face.

This made Natsu recoil and move backwards out of fear. _Damnit! How am I supposed to get past him and back towards Rex? _He thought in frustration, punching his fists in the ground.

"Natsu." Jellal spoke to him and he sounded oddly calm. Though he couldn't see any further than six inches in front of him, his hearing was still intact so Natsu turned to face the source of the voice. In his right hand and shining through the darkness for both of them was a golden flame dancing in his hand. "Take this."

"What is it?" Natsu replied in suspicion.

"The Flame of Rebuke. I am not asking for forgiveness, but I want to help you to protect Cait Shelter and the others just like everyone else and I believe in you and Rex." Jellal stated firmly.

They clasped hands and the Magic that was in it began flowing into Natsu who started to consume the growing golden flames that was surrounding his whole body and he began to fell an abnormal power flowing through him. "Thank you for that Jellal." He said.

Dropping the hand, Jellal smiled. "You're welcome Natsu." He said right back at him.

"Incredible, I never felt this much power before." Natsu noted as golden flames began swirling around his body, and the out lines of scales appeared on his arm and around his eyes. "I think it;s been doubled, maybe even tripled."

Thanks to consuming the Flame of Rebuke, Natsu saw where Kelsier was and turned back to face him and glred at the grey haired male. "Are you sure that was a good idea. By taking on Jellal's Flame of Rebuke you also bear the sins that he has committed in his life."

"A couple of sins are not going to scare me." Natsu replied and was glaring at Kelsier. Then he crouched and his left foot broke the floor beneath him. "Fairy Tail shares many sins, but the greatest sin of all… IS TURNING YOUR BACK ON SOMEONE!" At this he roared and then charged forwards, infusing one of his fists with golden fire he delivered a powerful punch to him in the stomach and then attacked with multiple blows to the body.

This caught Kelsier off guard by the sudden increase in speed, and he then moved backwards to fire several Scatter Bombs at Natsu and watched as they all exploded. Initially amused, the look on his face turned to surprise at Natsu stood there, looking barely unfazed at the attack. _What is up with those golden flames? Unless…_

"**Fire Dragon's… ROAR!**" Natsu chanted and then fired a blast of powerful golden flames at Kelsier.

The male tried to block it by using his Breaker Bomb but to his horror he saw that the Dragon's Roar that Natsu had just used was too much and overpowered it, consuming his whole body in them and he reeled backwards from the attack, smoking in several places. _How is he capable of doing that? Did the Flame of Rebuke allow him to burn through my Dark Blast? _

"**Wave Burst!**" Kelsier chanted and managed to place a hand on the incoming Natsu who was attacking with one of his own fists, though was sent flying backwards as he did so. A series of explosion rippled throughout the Dragon Slayer's body, aiming for his Magic and Natsu flinched backwards for a moment.

As Natsu saw another group of white orbs coming at him he gathered fire from both of his hands and then used his Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame Spell. The resulting collision completely destroyed some of the floor space between them. This didn't stop him from leaping over there and Kelsier waited, this time ducking when he was close enough.

A white Seal appeared from his hand where he placed it on Natsu's flaming chest and then blasted him back with a powered up Force Blast and Natsu was thrown back across the gap with Kelsier leaping over it and using the same Spell again whilst he had the upper force.

As he attempted to use it a third time, Natsu caught the outstretched hand and then threw him back to where they had been moments ago and then charged forwards with his whole body alight. "**Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!**" He roared and Kelsier got a face full of flames and was sent sprawling on the ground.

"This power, I'm only beginning to recognise it now. Dragon Force, the ultimate state that a Dragon Slayer can be obtained. It grants them power… unlike anything I've ever seen." Kelsier gasped and looked on as a burst of flames cascaded around Natsu suddenly and took shape in the form of a dragon. Still he got up, now actually acknowledging Natsu as a problem.

"I can feel the emotions of everyone flowing through me right now. Erza, Gray, Locke, Wendy, everyone else. They're calling out to me." Natsu stated as the flames began circling him instead of outright surrounding him.

A purple orb began to form in Kelsier and it appeared to take everything around it in at greater rate than normal. "I didn't anticipate this happening, but it looks like I have no choice Salamander." Kelsier stated and then fired it at Natsu who charged forwards directly into it. Unfortunately for him Natsu then found himself floored as the gravity around him increased suddenly.

Watching the fight, Jellal couldn't tell what was going to happen but knew that Natsu was going to be in trouble if he was unable to get up. _Please Natsu, stop him and protect Erza. _He thought silently and looked on.

"Resist it all you want, it'll just do you-!" Kelsier began but was interrupted by the sight of Natsu managing to get up despite the increased gravity and took a few steps backwards. "Okay then, you'll leave me with no choice."

As Natsu began channeling flames into his arms, Kelsier's whole body began glowing a white colour and the force from the Magic Power those two were exerting shook the whole area around them, making Jellal marvel at the force.

"**Dragon Slayer Secret Art - Exploding Flame Blade!**" Natsu roared as he charged towards Kelsier, with flames trailing from his arms and he began to spin and send out a torrent of hard hitting flames at Kelsier.

"**Atomic Flash Blast!**" Kelsier retaliated and let out all of the stored up energy when Natsu and the Spell he was using got closer. He was surrounded completely by a white flash and a really loud explosion could be heard throughout Nirvana, except for Rex who at this time was currently be swallowed up by Genesis Zero.

The resulting Spell sent a shockwave throughout the whole of Nirvana and beyond with the others nearly being floored by it. "What the hell was that?" Locke asked, positively baffled by what had just occurred then realised who could have done it.

Garchomp looked disorientated for a moment. "I think that's from Natsu, but we gotta focus. Trust our instinct when we have to do this all at once." She stated and felt as if something horrible had happened.

* * *

**Lacrima One - Rex**

The World of Nil, or the Void as Zero had called it was a dark cold place, though it felt like there was neither heat nor cold in reality. Rex was swirling through it with a look of anger on his face, though for whatever he was acting as if he had just woken up from a bad dream. "Where is this place?" He asked himself and looked around with his eyes in surprise.

Through it he could feel a faint rumble but that was all and nothing else. The darkness was complete silence, nothing could be seen or heard, this was creeping him out slightly as well. "Can't move… what happened?" He asked again and tried to remember what was going on. There was Zero and was engaged alongside Natsu, and then Jellal came in.

The stranger who had appeared with them attacked, Jellal had defended Rex in spite of his own anger and resentment and then after that everything became a blur. What the pale haired Trainer was certain of was that there was currently no way out and if Zero was not stopped then Cait Shelter was doomed and it would all be his fault. Given his current state though, Rex saw that he had few options and no way of getting out. "Guess this is it then. Hah." Rex stated with a smile on his face.

"_Are you really going to give up that easily, son?_" A humored male voice asked.

There was a look of shock on the face of Rex as he recognised who the voice had belonged to. He hadn't heard that voice for over twelve years and nearly choked in the silence. "Dad?" He asked, mouth open.

"_Don't forget some of the things I've said to you young man. You can do anything as long as you don't doubt yourself._" Rex's father replied and didn't sound annoyed or angry at him.

_He's right, when I told him what I wanted to do he didn't object to it and only said that you can do anything if you put your mind to it. I can defeat Zero, I have to defeat him! I want to save Cait Shelter!_ Rex thought and tried to get himself worked up enough to break free from the Genesis Zero Spell. It was working as he began to glow a golden aura that was filling up the World of Nil around him though it wasn't enough to break free yet.

* * *

**With Natsu**

When the explosion faded it revealed a panting Natsu looking on with surprise as Kelsier had managed to stop the Spell from mostly hitting him. There were several burn marks and a few areas where the jacket had been burnt completely off but it was still wearable for the moment. Kelsier was beginning to pant slightly but was still looking better off though mildly surprised at what Natsu had done to him.

"I'm surprised at this Salamander, very few can withstand that last one. Though I suspect if you weren't in Dragon Force things would be different." Kelsier observed, only slightly fazed by what had happened.

"Yeah, I can hear you too Rex." Natsu stated as he glared at Kelsier, the latter of whom was looking on in slight confusion. "I'm not going to stop until I've saved Cait Shelter as well. So let's do this together!" He shouted and the fire around him intensified suddenly.

Kelsier was now too amused to speak about what was going to happen, but then gave a silent smirk towards Natsu and indicated that he was ready to try if he wanted too. Then he found himself on the receiving end of two powerful Fire Dragon's Iron Fists and then tried to counter that with a Breaker Bomb.

The fact that he was slammed into a wall told him everything and he instead tried to avoid other attacks and prepared another powerful one. A dark green orb began growing in his hand until he had to support it with both hands and the area around him was shaking like the last time. _The power he had to nullify my second strongest Spell is incredible. Maybe the Master can use it, providing this one doesn't kill him. _Kelsier thought.

"You've been troublesome Salamander, so I'll have to knock you out for at least a week. **Nitrous Demolition!**" Kelsier chanted and then fired the dark green orb at Natsu, and the green flames that were inside the orb seemed to want to go to Natsu.

"**Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!**" Natsu shouted as he lunged forwards directly at the orb and was lost in the explosion, though was then revealed to be falling backwards and the green flames were licking his wounds. Natsu appeared to be in a lot of pain too, especially with the look on his face. It appeared that the attempt to eat the green flames backfired.

"Don't try swallowing these flames, they're aren't healthy for you." Kelsier noted with a smirk.

A deep rumbling voice sounded within his head. _Natsu, what has happened to you? Don't tell me that a child of Igneel has gone down that easily? _Igneel talked to him, through Telepathy.

Natsu then remembered when he was still a kid that he was having trouble breaking a scarred rock and was complaining about it. Igneel's response was to tell him that he wasn't asking for something impossible, just that as long as Natsu never gave up he could do anything he put his mind too. _Don't forget that no matter what happens next, I will be proud to call you a son of Igneel._ The dragon finished.

This made Natsu smiled as he got back up and was surrounded with flames again, and Kelsier looked nervous as if something was going to go wrong for him. "We may be separated, but are spirits are as one!" Natsu shouted and golden flames began surrounding him in a circle.

"**Dragon Slayer Secret Art,**" Natsu began to chant, and a golden red Seal appeared beneath him " **Hidden Fire Form - Crimson Lotus: Phoenix Blade!**" He finished and was surrounded by a pillar of fire and he jettisoned towards Kelsier who could only stand there and watch in surprise as he pierced his body and began carrying him up through the floor of Nirvana and towards the Lacrima One Room.

"GRRRRAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Natsu roared as the fire surrounded both of them now and Kelsier was crying out in pain and the shock of the raw power of the Spell.

* * *

**Lacrima One Room - With Rex**

Zero looked on smugly as there was a purple spiral of energy that was slowly shrinking from where Rex had been dragged off into. "Now you no longer have a form, Guardian Fairy." He stated in a mocking tone and then turned away and looked down at the hole in the floor where Kelsier had been. Having heard the sound of destruction why wouldn't he?

Sensing that something was wrong with the World of Nil behind him, Zero turned and gasped to see that a golden light was shining through golden cracks began to appear it in before it shattered to reveal a normal Rex with a look of absolute determination on his face. "No, how did you break free from the World of Nothing?" Zero demanded, clearly surprised.

"It wasn't easy, I'll give you that." Rex responded and he began flaring a golden aura that was steadily turning a light blue one, and any of the travellers of the Void that tried to drag him back inwards would only find themselves to be torn apart by the light. "All I had to do was believe in myself!" He shouted and then his whole body began flashing electricity which spread out and destroyed the remaining ghosts.

"**Dark Capriccio!**" Zero chanted in anger and then fired two of the controllable bursts of Darkness Magic from his hand and aimed it directly towards Rex who did nothing but stand there and direct away with Psychic back at Zero.

Then he charged forwards and countered with Mach Punch, switching into the Fist Plate as he did so and began beating up Zero with lightning fast punches and dodging whenever the Guild Master of the Oración Seis tried to counter with an attack of his own and then delivered a close range spinning Jump Kick.

Zero was able to recover from that a held one of his hands upwards. "Perish under **Dark Gravity!**" He yelled in anger and a number of green pillars appeared from the ground to try and strike him but the amplified gravity appeared to not affect Rex, despite it destroying a section of the floor.

Rex dashed off of the falling rock with Mach Punch to deliver a powerful uppercut to Zero and then threw him across the room with Seismic Toss. He was in absolutely no mood to talk now having guessed at what happened and he really didn't like it as much as seeing Jellal still alive and well, and would only let his actions speak. He moved his arms out in a backwards V formation and began running at Zero once again.

Gripping his Darkness Bow tightly, Locke suddenly felt something and then took aim at Lacrima in his room, with Garchomp taking in her breath and preparing a Fire Blast. "Men, **Power Perfume!**" Ichiya stated, and took out a bottle to release a blue coloured perfume that greatly increased his muscle mass and strength, making him grow in size too.

Gray took up his two handed stance and Wendy began to eat the air, somehow sensing that Rex had freed himself from Genesis Zero. Taking aim at the Lacrima in front of her, Erza waited as she slowly counted down the seconds left, which was less than a minute now.

At their Lacrima, Lucy and Happy were exhausted, until to their confusion another Lucy appeared who looked like her before changing. "Just leave to us, **Open: Gate of the Golden Bull - Taurus!**" Gemini chanted with a golden key.

"Moooo!" The large black and white bull shouted and prepared his axe.

Scoring a critical hit with Cross Chop, Rex switched to the Dread and began attacking with a Night Slash, expertly hitting Zero in several places and then scarring his chest too, as evidenced by the blood coming from it. "I will destroy everything you hold dear. **Genesis Zero!**" The white haired man shouted angrily and began spinning his hands, infused with Darkness Magic.

Rex then said only one thing. "**Ultimate Legendary Signature Art - Bolt Strike!**" He roared and was surrounded by black and blue lightning that formed itself into the shape of a dragon and then he blasted towards Zero with a feral look in his eyes.

As Zero began to cast the Spell he looked into the blue lightning dragon, which had also lit up the room like a beacon and felt in absolute awe at the sight. _This power I can feel is unbelieveable. What kind of person is he to overcome the World of Nil and attack with this fierce dragon? Is he a god? _Zero thought incredulously before continuing to cast the Spell regardless.

He made contact with Zero just as he was about to complete the Spell and they were headed right for the Lacrima. At the same time Natsu erupted out of the floor and the Phoenix Blade and Bolt Strike collided with the Lacrima, created a powerful wave of flames and lightning that nearly destroyed what was left of the surrounding area.

"**Ice Make: Lance!**" Gray chanted and fired five lances made of ice that collided with Lacrima Two at the same time, and it broke too.

"Go for it Taurus!" Gemini Lucy commanded at Lacrima Three. The large bull mooed as he took a mighty swung at the Lacrima, and managed to destroy it with a single blow to the middle, and it cracked apart before shattering completely.

Ichiya charged at the Lacrima with an outstretched fist and Garchomp fired a Fire Blast at Lacrima Four. "**Rocket Shot!**" Locke chanted and a black arrow surrounded by fire whizzed from the bow and alongside the Fire Blast, shattering the Lacrima.

Erza dashed forwards and swung at Lacrima Five with the Bishentō and using all the strength that she could muster. It was more than enough to shatter the Lacrima.

"**Sky Dragon's Roar!**" Wendy cried out and from a sky blue came a light blue blast of wind, similar to that of a hurricane. It pierced through Lacrima Six, destroying it as well. The Alliance had seconds to spare as Nirvana stopped charging up and just stopped. Everyone could practically hear the collective sigh of relief coming from Cait Shelter Guild.

Once their attacks subsided,both Natsu and Rex looked at each other for a moment. "Man Rex, that looked seriously scary for a moment." Natsu stated and grinned at him, with Rex returning the smile, though was still not speaking.

Jellal had managed to climb up through the destroyed wreckage and he locked eyes with Rex, and he too was smiling at how the white haired male had stopped it. "Thank you, for allowing me to help protect Cait Shelter." Jellal stated, with a genuine smile on his face.

Rex nodded slightly and the smile that was on the face dropped as a sense of confusion set in. The very person who he nearly killed had risked his life for him, but at the same time there was no way that he was going to forget what had happened. There were questions and more questions but with no answers to them, except for one that made Rex visibly scowl.

Then there was a rumbling that came from around them and the whole place began to shake. "What's going on now?" Natsu demanded, though was really tired and unable to move at the moment.

Gray had ran off to find Lucy. "We need to get going, this thing is collapsing!" He stated to her and Lucy sighed as she was going to be carried by Happy who wasn't feeling to good herself. The others were slowly making their way out as best as they could.

Garchomp had sighed and got her fins ready. "Climb aboard, I'll glide us down." She stated and they both did so without any argument. She locked her fins in place and crashed through a wall with Dragon Rush and let gravity take a hold of her as they began to fall. When it looked like the three of them were going to hit the ground Garchomp performed a barrel roll and then swerved through the trees before falling onto the ground.

Wendy and Carla were both falling from Nirvana until they were caught by a conscious Jura Neekis. "T-thank you, Jura-san." She apologised rather shyly.

"There is no need to thank me yet Wendy-dono, we have to get out of Nirvana first." Jura stated and used his Earth Magic to safely guide them down to the ground.

Running away from the wrecked Nirvana, Erza then met up with Garchomp's group. "Do you know where Rex and Natsu are?" She asked, and was concerned for their well being, especially Rex's.

Garchomp shook her head and snorted. "Even if I tried finding them with my nose, Nirvana collapsing wouldn't do any help. We're going to have to wait and see." She replied, looking up at the night sky. There was a quiet moment as the dragon looked up at the moon and admired it - she had been so busy lately she had almost forgotten what peace sounded like.

"Erza, my sweet aren't you glad to see me?" Ichiya protested and baulked under her glare.

"Hey!" Gray shouted and he walked in with Lucy and Happy, the latter of whom had somehow managed to get his head stuck in between her breasts while she was running towards them on her last legs. They were accompanied by Wendy, Jura and Carla who had manage to meet with each other on the way.

"Any signs of Natsu and Rex?" Locke asked them.

"We thought that they were with you." Jura replied and frowned at that oddity.

"I hope that the two of them and Jellal are okay." Wendy stated hesitantly as she was lowered onto the ground, then realised that she had slipped up and covered her mouth.

"Jellal?!" Lucy, and Gray cried out simultaneously.

Then Lucy yanked Happy out when he started muffling. "What were doing in there?" She asked angrily.

The blue cat was terrified by the face she was making. "I swear it isn't my fault, after you began running on foot I fell over you shoulder by accident!" He cried out then stopped suddenly. "Though it did feel kinda stuffy-!"

"Not helping!" Lucy shouted angrily and smacked him into the nearest tree by him.

Once the two of them were finished, Erza was standing in between Jellal and the other three members of Fairy Tail. "Wait, I know what you're thinking, but Jellal has lost his memories as a result of the Ethernano, he's a different person to the one you knew." She explained and then Gray backed down slowly. She sighed inwardly though was equally concerned for Rex, as she had no idea how he was going to take it.

"Where is Rex, does he know about this?" Lucy asked, fretting over his possible actions.

There was no reply for Erza, as she didn't know where he was. This worry for his reaction afterwards was bubbling away at the front of her mind. Erza then turned when she heard a rumbling sound from underneath and a hole appeared in the ground beneath them.

"Do not fear my friends, for I have found your comrades. Oh yeah!" An exuberant Richard proclaimed with his right fingers in a v formation and out popped Natsu, Rex and Jellal. All of them fell over onto the ground with the latter looking much better than the other two.

Wendy looked at Richard. "Isn't he a member of the Oración Seis?" She asked and took a step backwards, and Carla simply glared at him.

"It's all right, Richard was affected by Nirvana and has switched sides." Jura assured her, looking at the goofy smile that was on Richard's face as he backed the Wizard Saint up.

"I'd never thought I smell fresh air again! Especially after that Killseer guy used that Atom… what's it called?" Natsu asked, having forgotten the name of the Spell.

None of that mattered to Wendy right now as she ran forwards with tears of joy in her eyes and hugged Natsu "Thank you... for saving the Guild!" She said to him, and Natsu was looking down at her at first with surprise but then he too grinned.

Turning her head so that she was facing Jellal, Erza asked, "What do you think you're going to do now?"

Jellal frowned and looked down at the ground in thought. "I don't know, I;m worried that I might regain my memories of what I have done."

Erza hesitated, thinking about what she was going to say for a minute and how best to say it. "I'll be there with him when you do, even if we hate each other." She replied with a smile on her face.

Pretending to ignore them, Rex nearly turned to face them sharply and show Erza how hurt he felt but managed not to. This didn't stop him from hearing them and that those words that Jellal had said to him in the Lacrima One Room were bouncing through his mind, and then Rex grunted quietly in frustration. None of it was making sense, and he was beginning to wonder if he really had been wrong about Jellal and that something else was at work. As he tried to walk further away there was a loud wham noise that caught everyone's attention.

They turned to see that Rex was pressing against some sort of barrier with purple runes lighting up the area that made contact with the palms of his hand. "What's this?" Carla asked, as if expecting something else.

"MEEEEEENNNNN!" Ichiya cried out in fear and watched as he powered up stated charged back into the area. Everyone was trying their best to ignore the fact that he was naked and focus on the runes that were now spreading out around them. "I went to do something behind the bush when I found a hostile perfume!" He explained.

From in front and behind them they were surrounded by soldiers that wore the unmistakable clothes of the Magic Council, possibly with numbers running in hundreds and leading them was a familiar face to the members of Fairy Tail - Lahar. "It seems that we meet again Fairy Tail, but this time you're not alone." Lahar observed, ignoring the glare of disapproval he was getting from Rex.

"Who are you?" Carla demanded.

"This guy's name is Lahar and he works for the Magic Council." Gray informed the rest of the people in the Jutsu Shiki.

"Yes, and I am now the Head Captain of the Custody Enforcement Unit under the reformed Magic Council." Lahar nodded. "I am here to arrest all the members of the Oración Seis, including the Mage who calls himself Hoteye."

This came as a great shock to Jura. "Are you serious, after all the help he;s done to us you're going to arrest him on the spot?" He protested.

Richard waived those protests off with a hand. "No, I'll come with them. My sudden change of heart cannot make up for my past sins. All I wanted to do was to see my brother, and because of that I ended up a part of the Oración Seis. I hope that I can meet him with a clean state someday." He explained, though he was tensing up slightly.

Jura nodded once in understanding and turned to face Richard. "I see, then I will look for your brother in your stead and tell him of your whereabouts." He promised with a smile on his face.

Richard looked surprised by this and then looked like he was about to cry. "You will? That's good news, his name is Wally… Wally Buchanan." He stated and then began to tell them a story. "Back when we were younger…"

_As a young boy his hair was a lot curlier and he was wearing a blue suit with a red tie and a white shirt. It was in stark contrast to Wally who opted for a more casual look that was more suited to their surrounding. _

_They were both living in a farmland in a hot and dry area where they would spend their time cultivating potatoes on their own as they both lost their parents so they ended up relying on each other instead._

_During one particularly hot summer, Wally was breaking his back over trying to get whatever potatoes were good enough to eat, and in the end only managed to get one potato, though it was surprisingly large. _

"_Here Richard, you can have it. Too bad it was the only one." Wally said after he cooked it in a cauldron over the fire._

"_No, it would be greedy of me to eat all of it." Richard disagreed and then broke the potato in half and gave it to Wally, who accepted it after a brief moments of hesitation._

Every member of Fairy Tail except for Locke recognised that name. "You mean Blockhead?!" Natsu and Happy cried out at once with a startled look on their faces. Rex then gave them a funny look at the nickname.

"I know of Wally, I'm a friend of his. He is currently travelling with some other good friends of mine." Erza stated as she stepped forwards.

Richard looked at her with shock and then bent over and began to weep tears of joy, knowing that his younger brother was safe and sound. He kept crying for a minute before getting up and then shook hands with Jura as a sign of their new found friendship. Once that was done Richard turned to face Lahar and the Rune Knights and nodded to indicate that he was ready to go now.

Once he was certain that Richard was not going to give them any trouble he then stated something else. "Catching the Oración Seis was a stroke of luck as well, our true objective is the arrest of a man who has committed numerous crimes and manipulated the Magic Council into firing Etherion as the Tower of Heaven. Jellal Fernandes, you are officially under arrest for high treason against the Council!" He declared and pointed at the blue haired man. "You either come peacefully or we will use lethal force."

The Allied Forces all looked on at them in surprise for a moment until Jellal nodded and then moved forwards without any attempts to resist them. Anti-Magic Cuffs were placed on his wrists and he looked down at the ground in pain.

"Wait a minute!" Wendy suddenly cried and ran towards Lahar. "He's lost his memories! You can't arrest him!"

Lahar turned to face her. "A excuse such as that will not be accepted by the law." He replied stiffly and then moved his hand, getting rid off the runes that had trapped them.

Wendy then tried to argue with him but Jellal silenced her. "Don't protest, it's better if I got quietly and without resisting them." He replied calmly, though not without guilt.

Carla then moved towards him, also surprised by this. "But… but what about helping the child?" She asked him.

"I don't remember that, but if I did help Wendy, then I'm glad for doing so." Jellal smiled as he was being lead away by the Rune Knights.

Looking at Jellal, Lahar let out a scowl towards Jellal. "With the charges you're facing, you'll look at life imprisonment, maybe even execution without parole." He informed without losing his composure, and Jellal nodded in response, remaining silent. "You likely won't ever see another person again Jellal."

Lucy covered her mouth with her hands. "That's… that's inhuman." She said quietly in shock. Wendy began to cry again

Erza began shaking and then thought about stopping them from taking him away, but stopped when Natsu lunged out at the Rune Knights. "I won't let you take him away!" Natsu shouted angrily, and then attacked a pair of Rune Knights who were going forth to restrain him.

Lucy couldn't believe what Natsu was doing. "Have you lost your mind Natsu?!" She shouted at him.

They were given warnings about the Magic Council before, but usually Natsu would just shrug it off and carrying on being himself. This time was completely different though, as the Dragon Slayer had vowed to not stop until Jellal was freed and Wendy was not crying again. "Jellal is our ally and we're taking him back!" He shouted.

"Restrain him." Lahar ordered.

As several more were about to get to Natsu blasts of ice came from Gray to stop them. "Get him Natsu!" The raven haired Mage shouted.

Jura then stepped forwards and a group of Rune Knights froze on the spot as he began glowing a golden colour. "You can punish a man for his crimes, but to ignore the good he has done is unforgivable!" He declared and they ran away from him.

Surprisingly it was Ichiya that joined them next and held back a group of Rune Knights from moving forwards. "If you were to take Jellal away it would greatly hurt Erza!" He added, showing his support to Jellal not being taken away.

"Please, you mustn't take him away!" Wendy begged as she ran forwards, despite having not much Magic, she would fight to help Jellal regardless.

A silent Rex then took several steps forwards and looked directly at Lahar before switching into the Minds Plate and creating a Psycho Cut within each of his hands. Although he looked injured, he could still fight and decided against his better judgement to fight for Jellal. He was joined by Garchomp and Locke who looked to the sides of the Rune Knights.

"Come with us Jellal! Erza needs you as much as she needs Rex by your side!" Natsu begged and hand a hand out ready.

Jellal looked at them all in surprise that he was regarded as one of them in spite of everything that he had done to them, especially the pain that he had managed to inflict upon Erza and Rex. Turning to face the white haired Guardian, Jellal remembered another fact about him. The Guardian Fairy did not come from this world.

Lahar lost his patience, though he controlled it exceedingly well. "Arrest everyone for obstructing government and officials and aiding in the escape of a criminal!" He ordered with a raised.

"WAIT!" Erza suddenly shouted and they all stopped to see that she was walking forwards to face Lahar. "I am sorry for all of the fuss that my companions here have created. I'll take responsibility for that, just take Jellal and leave us." She offered.

"But Erza-" Natsu began to protest and she hit him half-heartedly.

Jellal nodded, relieved that this was going to be over. As he was about to step into the cart he then turned to face her suddenly with a smile. "Now I remember your full name, Erza Scarlet. Thank you, and goodbye." He stated and was then escorted in by the Rune Knights.

Elsewhere near the ruins of Nirvana lay an unconscious Kelsier who then gasped and began breathing heavily. He could practically taste the heat in the air that was matching the surroundings around him, though he was initially confused about what was going on. Then it hit him harder than the last Spell Natsu had used on him. "_Salamander._" He spat and tried to move.

Kelsier stopped and fell down on the ground, watching as a portal opened next to him and someone stepped through, a humanoid shaped creature stepped through and looked down on him. "He really did a number on you, Kelsier, huh?" Came the gruff voice of the creature.

"Shut up!" Kelsier spat back at him. "I swear the next time I meet Salamander things won't go so peachy for him." He muttered and he began moving his arm though the effort made the male wince.

The creature gave an amused chuckle. "Yeah, that is not going to happen anytime soon Kelsier, and the Guild Master wants you back pronto. Has that event happened yet?"

Kelsier licked his lips and grinned. "Take a look."

The mainly blue creature bent down and picked through the clothes to see a glowing dark purple crystal around his neck. "So then I guess that means Phase 1 has just started?" He asked before turning backwards and looking at Kelsier's face. "Kelsier, you are not going to be allowed out for a long time, so think of revenge later."

"SHUT UP AND GET ME -MMMPH mmph mmmph mmmmpHHH!" Kelsier roared but his mouth had been covered up by the blue creature.

"Could you please try and keep your voice down, would you rather be arrested by the Rune Knights?" The creature hissed angrily and his whole body radiated a blue aura.

Kelsier swallowed and then nodded. "Fine, hurry up and get me back Lucario, I have a bone to pick with Reeze once I am healed." He muttered.

Initially offended at the prospect of being called by his proper name, Lucario then sensed the potency from somewhere else flare up and could hear a distant shout. Without giving it a second thought he threw Kelsier into the blue portal and followed, with it closing a second later.

A few hours later it was nearly morning, and all of the Allied Forces were together save for Erza and Rex who were both sitting on opposite sides of a doorway as the sun was rising. Rex couldn't see the sun coming up as it was obstructed by a wall, and he could only see rays of lights poking through the gaps. _How appropriate. _He thought grimly.

Looking back on what happened hours earlier he realised that stepping aside and letting Jellal was the right thing to do instead of defending him, so what was it that made him do such a thing? It was probably the look and feeling of shock on her face that made him do it, that he was still thinking about Erza despite her having more of a history with Jellal. _Damn._

Turning his own thoughts to the fight with Zero, Rex looked up the sky which was getting lighter and lighter as the moments passed he closed his eyes to acknowledge that there was change in the air that was now unavoidable. _That moment when Jellal showed up and I got angry, that was when it all changed. nothing will be the same from here on out. _Rex thought.

Meanwhile on the light side, Erza had sat with her knees up and was troubled about what Jellal had said to her before he departed and she remembered the time that she had gotten her surname.

_In the R-System, Erza had been put into a group along with Shô, Wally, Millianna , Simon and they saw a young boy with blue hair and a red tattoo on his face come in. "You're my new cellmates right?" He asked, acting cheerful despite being locked up. Then he saw a shy looking Erza and walked over to her. "So what's your name?" He asked first._

_This startled the girl and Wally came in to defend her. "Leave her alone!" He demanded of him._

_Jellal did as he told. "Okay then, my name is Jellal. Jellal Fernandes."_

_Wally was taken aback by this. "Jellal, Fernandes? That is a very long name, I dunno if I can remember it. I'm Wally Buchanan."_

"_That's a long name too." Jellal replied, and both the calmness and confidence in his voice struck the scarlet haired girl._

_Turning to face the girl who was watching them, Wally was curious as well. "What about you? What's your full name?" Wally asked._

"_I'm… Erza. Just plain Erza." She replied with a sniff._

"_Just Erza? That's kind of sad." Jellal noted and then looked at her hair, deciding on a surname. "Scarlet! It's the colour of your hair. That way, I'll never forget it!" He stated._

"_You can't just go making up a name like that!" Simon protested, a little too protective of her._

_Erza thought about it for a moment as she played with a lock of her hair. "Erza Scarlet… I like that name." She spoke up quietly._

Erza began thinking about it for a moment and then buried her face in her hands as she began to cry after replaying the memory of how she got her name within her mind. It was when she heard shuffling noises she stopped and looked up to see that Rex was stretching out a hand to help her up, with a neutral look on his face. Raising her own hand she was pulled up and they began walking back to the rest of the Allied Forces with Wendy in tow.

* * *

**Cait Shelter**

When they arrived back at the Cait Shelter Guild at late morning they were all given a few hours to rest up and refresh themselves. Several members of the Alliance, chiefly the girls, were given new clothes to replace the damaged ones, and Natsu had the clothes from the Celestial Spirit repaired. The rest of the Alliance that didn't get a change of clothes had their ones repaired, and they were gathered outside in front of the Cait Shelter Guild.

"As the Master of the Cait Shelter Guild I would like to thank you personally for stopping Nirvana and saving this place." Roubaul stated.

The Allied Forces (at least the more vocal members) began to cheer in celebration. "Yeah, I;'m getting all fired up for a party right now!" Natsu shouted and Happy jumped up in agreement.

"Put that shirt back on Gray! You too Lyon!" Lucy protested at the two of them and then gulped as Sherry stood right next to her with a look in her eyes that were not unlike Juvia.

Roubaul gave a cough that got everyone's attention and the two Ice Make Mages both put their shirts on. "First and foremost I want to apologise about keeping the legacy of the Nirvit a secret. I think it is best if I told you all about what happened with Nirvana. Cait Shelter is a Guild made up not of the descendants of the Nirvits but of the Nirvits themselves." He began to tell them and there was a silence that dropped in the group.

"Many years ago, it was me along with everyone else that created Nirvana in the first place in an attempt to stop the Guild Wars that were raging across the continent. For a while the idea actually worked and we were living in peace and harmony. But there must be balance in the world, and because of the sudden lack of balance the darkness within the hearts of the others became a part of the Nirvits themselves." Roubaul continued.

Rex silently scowled as if expecting this and Roubaul nodded. "In hindsight if I knew this was going to happen I would never have built it. We turned on each other, brother against brother, friend against friend and fought in a war of our own, with me being the last Nirvit standing as the guardian of Nirvana." Roubaul admitted with a look of sadness across his face.

This was when the bombshell dropped on the Alliance. "As a result of having to guard it for such a long time I have lost my physical form. I am but an illusion to atone for my past sins." Roubaul admitted out loud.

Wendy feel to her knees in shock. "No… please tell me this isn't true Roubaul… please!" She cried.

Roubaul nodded, also sad. "It is Wendy. Seven years ago, a boy who called himself Jellal came to me with you and he wanted me to protect you from harm. Seeing the desperation and determination in his eyes I couldn't say no. When you came too you told me about joining some Guild called Cait Shelter so I used my illusion magic to show you a Guild."

At this, the illusions of both buildings and people began to disappear one by one and there were many looks of surprise that came all over the faces of the Allied Forces. "So this is why I couldn't smell you…" Garchomp stated out loud and looked at Roubaul with some surprise.

"They were all illusions and we were all none the wiser, incredible." Jura remarked.

"Please don't go! I need you! Master Roubaul!" Wendy shouted as she looked at him, and the Cait Shelter Guild Mark on her shoulder and on Carla began to slowly fade away.

Roubaul gave her a friendly smile. "It's okay, Wendy. You two don't need a foster family any longer, not when you have a real one from the other Guilds out there." He stated as he was the last one who faded away. "Thank you all for destroying Nirvana and freeing me of my burden."

Wendy then picked herself up and ran towards him, only to trip over herself a few feet away. Looking up, the last thing she saw with her tearful eyes was his glowing golden smile and beard. Then she got up and broke down crying again, and even Carla was looking upset at having lost Roubaul.

Erza then walked forwards slowly and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I know what it's like to lose people close to you, and you can bury the sadness of losing people by being around your friends." She consoled the young girl who looked up at Erza "How about you and Carla join Fairy Tail?" She asked.

* * *

**That is a wrap! You know, this was going to be a lot longer when I first planned it but I decided a lot of it was going to be useless filler. So what did you think about it? Did you like the plot twist? What was your favourite battle with Rex up to this point? **

**Next Time on Guardian Fairy - Cipher Arc Prologue: The Anger of Golden Light**


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